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Bird Damage

As human activity encroaches on wildlife habitats, and natural food sources become increasingly scarce, it is no wonder that birds turn to man-made habitats such as crop fields and aquaculture ponds. Where else can large flocks of birds find sufficient, nutritious, readily available food? Agricultural crops create ideal foraging sites for gregarious bird species, and virtually everything that humans grow or raise for food is subject to some level of bird damage (Avery 2002). For most farmers and other agricultural producers, bird damage is a fact of life, but not a major concern. The unlucky few producers for whom depredations are severe, however, do incur substantial financial losses.

Another concern-birds and aircraft often compete for the same airspace at the same time. When that happens, collisions may occur, sometimes resulting in injuries or death to passengers and crew and damage to aircraft. To help prevent these potentially dangerous situations, biologists provide airport operators with advice and recommendations on how to keep runways and flight paths clear of wildlife. Problem bird species include waterfowl, gulls, blackbirds, pigeons, hawks, starlings, vultures, and others. Airports in the eastern and southeastern United States experience the greatest number of wildlife-aircraft collisions, but the problem exists nationwide. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that birds and other wildlife cause more than $390 million in damage each year to civil aircraft in this country (USDA 2001).

Pest birds are also found in large numbers in urban and suburban areas, causing millions of dollars of damage every year to homes, businesses, machinery, automobiles, roofs, ventilation systems and more. Accumulated bird droppings and nesting materials can impact human health and safety in a variety of ways.

Blackbird-like Birds
Waterbirds (Geese, Herons, Cormorants, Pelicans, Egrets, Ducks)
Vultures
Other Nuisance Birds (Pigeons, Woodpeckers, Gulls, Sparrows, Swallows
Invasive Species

References

AVERY, M. L. 2002. Birds in pest management. Pages 104-106 in D. Pimental, editor. Encyclopedia of pest management. Marcel Dekker, New York, USA

USDA. 2001. WS assistance at airports. USDA/APHIS/Wildlife Services Fact Sheet. http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fsheet_faq_notice/fs_wsairport.html