Bird strikes, or birds colliding with aircraft, are a surprisingly common occurrence in aviation. Every year, thousands of bird strikes are reported to aviation authorities worldwide. While most bird strikes do not result in damage to the aircraft or harm to passengers, they can occasionally cause emergencies and even fatal crashes. Understanding the frequency and risks associated with bird strikes is an important part of improving aviation safety.
How many bird strikes happen each year?
According to statistics from aviation authorities, there are thousands of reported bird strikes worldwide every year. For example:
- In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported over 13,000 bird strikes in 2019. This equates to around 36 bird strikes per day.
- In Canada, Transport Canada reported over 1,600 bird strikes in 2018, or around 4-5 per day.
- In the United Kingdom, over 2,200 bird strikes were reported in 2018, averaging 6 per day.
- In Australia, around 350-500 bird strikes are reported annually, or 1-2 per day.
These numbers include only reported bird strikes. The actual number of collisions between birds and aircraft is likely higher, since minor strikes often go unreported by pilots and airport personnel. By some estimates, the global number of bird strikes could exceed 40,000 per year worldwide.
What are the most common types of birds involved in strikes?
While over 550 species of birds have been involved in reported aviation strikes, some types of birds account for a disproportionate number of collisions:
- Gulls – Medium to large coastal seabirds, often abundant near airports. Account for around 20% of reported bird strikes in the US and UK.
- Waterfowl – Duck, geese, and swans. Represent around 15% of US bird strikes due to migratory patterns overfly major airports.
- Raptors – Birds of prey such as hawks, falcons, and eagles. Around 7% of US strikes. Their size and hunting behavior along airport perimeters increases strike risk.
- Pigeons/doves – Abundant in urban areas and attracted to agricultural fields surrounding airports. Account for 5-10% of reported strikes in the US and Europe.
- European starlings – Extremely numerous species that flock in huge densities. Represent around 5% of US strikes.
Strikes are most common during migration seasons, when large flocks of birds fly over airports and collision risks are elevated. Strategies for monitoring and dispersing hazardous birds from airports help reduce risks.
How much damage do bird strikes cause?
While the majority of reported bird strikes (over 90%) cause little to no damage, the remainder can have significant consequences. Data on damage from bird strikes includes:
- Engine damage – Around 10-15% of reported bird strikes cause some engine damage, ranging from minor dents to complete engine failure. Jet engine designs are resilient to most small bird strikes.
- Aircraft structure damage – Impacts with windshields, wings, stabilizers, and other parts of the aircraft structure are less common, accounting for around 5% of bird strikes.
- Other system damage – Strikes can also damage flight controls, sensors, lights, and other critical systems. However, serious damage to non-engine components occurs in less than 1% of reported bird strikes.
The overall risk to any given flight of suffering substantial damage from a bird strike is very low, estimated at around 1 in 100,000 flights. Nonetheless, authorities take the potential for catastrophic damage very seriously.
How many bird strikes result in emergencies?
Very few bird strikes require immediate emergency action by pilots and air traffic control. Data on bird strike emergencies includes:
- Emergency landings – Around 1-2% of reported bird strikes result in pilots needing to divert and make emergency landings. These are usually a precaution after a major engine impact.
- Crash landings – Only around 0.2% of bird strike incidents (1 in 500) lead to crash landings. Skillful pilots can often land the aircraft safely even after major system failures.
Bird strike emergencies receive substantial public attention, but are actually quite rare considering the total number of collisions. The overall probability of a damaging bird strike emergency is around 1 in 1 million flights.
How many fatalities have resulted from bird strikes?
Deaths directly attributed to bird strikes are extremely rare. Some data points on bird strike fatalities:
- Civil aviation – Around 30 airline passengers worldwide are known to have been killed in crashes caused at least in part by bird strikes, over the entire history of commercial aviation. This makes bird strikes accountable for less than 1% of all air crash fatalities.
- Military aviation – Loss rates are slightly higher for military aviation due to different aircraft types and flight profiles. Around 250 military pilots worldwide have been killed in bird strike mishaps since the early 1900s.
- Occupants of struck aircraft on ground – Bird strikes have caused several deaths to crew members and bystanders when striking aircraft taxiing or parked on airfields.
The rarity of fatal bird strike incidents is a testament to rigorous aircraft certification standards and pilot training that prepares them to handle emergency situations.
Are the risks from bird strikes increasing?
As air travel continues growing worldwide, the absolute number of bird strikes will likely increase. However, when measured as a rate based on flight activity, the risks do not appear to be increasing significantly in recent decades. Several factors could be influencing strike rates:
- Aircraft designs – Modern jet engines and aircraft structures are more resilient to bird strikes than older generation aircraft.
- Airport wildlife management – Habitat modification, active dispersal techniques, and wildlife monitoring help reduce bird hazards near runways.
- Pilot awareness – Knowledge about seasonal and geographic bird strike risks helps pilots be vigilant.
- Reporting – Increased reporting transparency could make strike rates seem higher compared to decades past.
Continual improvement in technology, operations, regulations and data analysis will be key to further mitigating bird strike risks as aviation activity continues to grow.
How can the risks from bird strikes be reduced?
There are several strategies employed to try minimizing hazardous bird activity near airports and reducing strike risks:
- Habitat modification – Removing vegetation, water, and food sources that attract birds to airport environments.
- Active dispersal – Trained wildlife control personnel use pyrotechnics, lasers, propane cannons, and other tools to scare birds away from runways and flight paths.
- Passive dispersal – Fake predator decoys and distress call audio deterrents discourage birds from occupying the airport.
- Radar monitoring – Tracking flocks approaching the airport provides advance warning to take dispersal action.
- Netting – Covering ponds and preventing access to standing water reduces attractiveness for flocking birds like geese.
Ongoing research also aims to develop new bird strike prevention technologies, such as bird detection sensors for aircraft and improved engine designs able to ingest birds with less damage.
Bird strike statistics summary table
| Metric | Global Estimate |
|---|---|
| Total reported bird strikes per year | 40,000 – 80,000 |
| Strikes causing damage | 5 – 10% |
| Strikes causing emergencies | 1 – 2% |
| Strikes contributing to fatal crashes | Less than 1% |
Conclusion
Bird strikes on aircraft are a common occurrence, with thousands of collisions between birds and planes happening across the globe each year. However, catastrophic damage, emergencies, injuries, and fatalities directly attributable to bird strikes remain very rare. Ongoing improvements in technology, operations, and data analysis help reduce risks further. While bird strikes will likely continue to increase in absolute terms as air traffic grows, the relative risks remain manageable through proactive monitoring and prevention techniques.
