Reducing the Incidence of Bird Strikes Involving High Risk Species at Melbourne Airport, Australia

Transcription

1 Reducing the Incidence of Bird Strikes Involving High Risk Species at Melbourne Airport, Australia W. K. Steele 1 & S. Renner 2 1 Consulting Wildlife Biologist, EM: steelewk@bigpond.com 2 Australia Pacific Airports (Melbourne), EM: sarah.renner@melair.com.au 29th Meeting of the International Bird Strike Committee Cairns, Queensland, September

2 Introduction Melbourne Airport Second largest airport in Australia in terms of aircraft and passenger movements. >194,000 ATMs (incl. > 37,000 by aircraft over 136 tonnes) 26 million passengers a year. Occupies 2,367 ha site to the north-west of Melbourne, Victoria. Airside covers c. 750 ha. 2

3 Introduction Melbourne Airport 3

4 Background Data available: 1700 wildlife strike reports between March 1986 and July bird counts by ornithologist between January 1997 and July bird counts by staff (with 110,330 observations typed into airport database). Daily wildlife hazard management logs from April KEY: 10 to 15 birds 5 to 10 birds 1 to 5 birds <1 bird 4

5 KEY: >30 strikes recorded strikes strikes 1 9 strikes KEY: 10 to 15 birds 5 to 10 birds 1 to 5 birds <1 bird 5

6 Background 1700 wildlife strikes reported between March 1986 and July confirmed bird/bat strikes at, or near, Melbourne Airport 42 damaging strikes Photo: Chris Thomson, WA News 6

7 Background strike records Seasonal pattern to strikes with autumn peak. Numerous small grassland birds. Australasian Pipit 7

8 Background strike records Species % of strikes Australian Magpie 25.1 Eurasian Skylark 12.0 Masked Lapwing 5.3 Nankeen Kestrel 4.9 Rock Dove 4.6 Little Raven 4.4 Brown Falcon 3.5 Eastern Barn Owl 3.2 Australasian Pipit 3.2 8

9 Background 2007 risk assessment 2007 risk assessment identified eight species as presenting a risk: Australian Magpie Australian Pelican Rock Dove Common Starling Galah Grey-headed Flying-Fox Australian White Ibis Straw-necked Ibis A further three species fell into the review category of risk: Wedge-tailed Eagle, Brown Falcon, Masked Lapwing. Photo: Andy Nunn, 9

10 High risk species 2007 Rock Dove (300 g) Brown Falcon (600 g) Australian Magpie (300 g) 10

11 High risk species 2007 Masked Lapwing (370 g) Grey-headed Flying-fox ( fruit bat ) 760 g Common Starling 11

12 High risk species 2007 Eastern Barn Owl (335 g) Black Swan (5.5 kg) 12

13 Wildlife hazard management approach Pre-emptive measures Habitat management Exclusion Reactive measures Population reduction Removal (trapping/ shooting) Costs Active harassment Passive deterrence 13

14 Pre-emptive management 14

15 The problem of ground-foraging birds 15

16 The problem of ground-foraging birds 16

17 Methods From March 2007 ground-foraging birds were specifically targeted through: New passive deterrents 17

18 Methods Intensive bird harassment by dedicated Airside Safety Officer(s) during high risk times of year 18

19 Methods Increased, targeted culling of juvenile high risk ground-foraging birds 19

20 Methods Masked Lapwing nests on the airside destroyed 20

21 Methods 21

22 Methods insecticide application 22

23 Results all species Year ATMs Reported bird/bat strikes Confirmed bird/bat strikes Damaging strikes Estimated mass (kg) , , , , , , , , , , , ,934 Average reported strike-rate per 10,000 ATMs: = 7.8 ± 0.55 (n = 419 records) = 8.4 ± 2.64 (n = 487 records) No significant difference (F = 23.31, p < 0.05, d.f. = 4; t = 0.37, d.f. = 4) 23

24 Results all species Average confirmed strike-rate: = 4.1 ± 0.37 (n = 221 records) = 3.7 ± 1.28 (n = 217 records) No statistically significant difference (F = 12.11, p < 0.05, d.f. = 4; t = 0.51, d.f. = 4) Average damaging strike-rate: = 0.34 ± 0.21 (n = 18 records) = 0.17 ± 0.20 (n = 10 records) Not statistically significant (F = 0.92, p < 0.05, d.f. = 4; t = 1.01, d.f. = 4) There was also a decline in three-year average of damaging strikes, from 6.0 to

25 Results targeted species Australian Magpie Average number counted on the airside declined from 62.2 to 32.3 The number of strikes involving this species declined by almost half, from an average of 21.3 strikes/yr to 11.0 strikes/yr (F = 0.23, p < 0.05, d.f. = 4; t = 1.46, n.s., d.f. = 4) 25

26 Results targeted species Ibis Average number of strikes per year declined from 4.0 to 1.0 Masked Lapwing Average number of strikes per year declined from 6.7 to

27 Conclusions Intensive harassment is not enough in itself and must be part of an integrated, multi-pronged approach. We know that pre-emptive management is better than reactive harassment. We continue to look for improved methods of managing groundforaging species of bird. But, in the absence of any better management tools, we believe we have been able to reduce the incidence of damaging strikes on targeted high risk species of ground-foraging birds at Melbourne Airport. 27

28 Thank you With thanks to Birds Australia for early bird records and the Airside Safety Officers for their advice and their ongoing efforts 28