
“With all our traps, the intent is to capture the bird and relocate them. “We transport these birds back to the shop and process them here,” Candace explained. There are “holding boxes,” where birds are housed until they can be properly tagged and tracked. The airport operates a wildlife workshop that houses bird traps, tools and other accoutrement necessary for the job. It tells us where we need to focus more of our efforts based on that data.” “We use that information to determine what we can do to modify the habitat, so they don’t stick around. “We can go back at the end of the year and make hotspot maps based on where we’re seeing large concentrations of birds that we haze,” Candace said. Using a geographic imaging system map, the team logs all the birds hazed using ornithological codes. The wildlife team monitors space within a two-mile radius of the airport, including nearby land owned by private parties. Walk-around, by both the ground crew and the captain.”

Indicators that a bird was hit, we’ll send out a specialist to investigate. “If an aircraft comes in with feathers and other “When our staff do runway inspections, if they find a bird on the runway or safety area it’s considered a strike,” explained Candace.
BIRD RESCUE SALT LAKE CITY SKIN
A small dent or a hole in the skin of the fuselage is unwelcome.Ī Northern Harrier ready for processing at the Salt Lake City International Airport’s wildlife workshop. Since airplanes are made from aluminum, it is critical they maintain their structural integrity. Last year, SLC reported 280 bird strikes, some of which damaged aircraft. We have a bigger challenge than some other airports because of the geography of the area.” Salt Lake is unique because we sit on two major migratory flyways. “This time of year, one of our most dangerous species are waterfowl. “Our main concern is birds,” said Candace Deavila, airport wildlife manager for the Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC). Because rodents attract predatory birds like raptors (hawks and falcons), one strategy the team employs is keeping the grass longer on the airfield to camouflage the rodents, since raptors aren’t likely to hunt something they can’t see.
BIRD RESCUE SALT LAKE CITY HOW TO
Always use your judgment and never try to confine birds of prey or large birds such as cormorants or swans.įLAP has a useful page about how to confine injured birds, FLAP also has a section of their website devoted to helping individuals save birds by reporting injured bird incidents and also offering practical suggestions about what to do with an injured bird.Swedish goshawk trap on land surrounding the Salt Lake City International Airport.Īside from the occasional deer or antelope, mice, hamsters and other rodents are common trespassers that the wildlife team mitigate frequently. For less serious injuries, there is a chance that if the bird is left alone for a few hours, it might be able to fly away on its own, once released. If the injuries look serious, the bird has blood on it, is missing a significant amount of feathers, is swollen, asymmetrical, or can no longer stand on its own, the best thing to do is to take the bird to a rehabilitation centre immediately. Place the injured bird in a covered box, with air holes punched in it, and keep it in a warm, quiet place without trying to feed it or apply any kind of medication. The first thing to do if you find a small, injured bird is to confine the bird. Rescued brown creeper being released © FLAP
