Australia is home to some 800 bird species, ranging in size from the 8-cm (3-in) weebil to the emu (up to 2 m [7 ft] in height), which doesn’t fly but can run 31 mph (50 kph).1 Some of the natural birds and other creatures present a significant risk to engineered birds — airplanes and helicopters.
“While it is uncommon that a bird strike causes any harm to aircraft crew and passengers, many result in damage to aircraft, and some have resulted in serious consequential events, such as forced landings and high speed rejected takeoffs,” says a recent report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) on the nation’s aviation wildlife strikes from 2002 to 2011.2
“In 2011, there were 1,751 bird strikes reported to the ATSB,” the report says. “For high capacity aircraft operations,3 reported bird strikes have increased from 400 …
