5years of Wildlife Hazard Management to Reduce Wildlife Strikes at General Mitchell International Ai

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5-years of Wildlife Hazard Management to Reduce
Wildlife Strikes at General Mitchell
International Airport (MKE), Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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OUR GOAL

• Help ensure public safety by reducing wildlife
  strikes

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Wildlife Hazards-What Are They?

• Wildlife create hazards to the airport
  environment when they interfere with the safe
  operation of an aircraft.
• Direct (strike)
• Indirect
• nests
• chewing/digging
• prey

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The airport is not a wildlife refuge!
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N
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MKE Wildlife Hazard Assessment (WHA)

• Conducted February 2000 January 2001
• Identified wildlife species, numbers, and
  seasonal use patterns, on and around airport
  property
• Identified areas and activities attractive to
  wildlife
• Offered recommendations to address wildlife and
  the attractive habitats

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WHA Most Abundant Bird Species
European Starling Canada Goose Mallard Herring
Gull Ring-billed Gull American Crow Savannah
Sparrow Mourning Dove Rock Dove
Eastern Meadowlark Horned Lark Killdeer American
Kestrel Red-tailed Hawk Barn Swallow Cliff
Swallow Great Blue Heron American Robin
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WHA Most Abundant Mammal Species

• Coyotes Rabbits
• Woodchucks

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Hazard Ranking
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Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP)

• Submitted November 2004

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Wildlife Hazard Management Plan (WHMP)

• Outlines Wildlife Hazard Management Program
  specific to your airport
• Who? When?
• What? How?

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WHMP Personnel

• MKE Ops Field Coordinators
• From 2002 2004 short-term or as needed basis
• Full-Time Wildlife Biologist (began Jan. 2005)

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Control Actions

• Population management is key
• - The less wildlife present the lower the
• probability of a strike
• - Harassment
• - Habitat Modification

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Control Actions
Pyrotechnics
2007 Jan March 490 April June 1214 July
Sept 659 Oct Dec 272
2006 Jan March 575 April June 1290 July
Sept 511 Oct Dec 535
2005 Jan March 238 April June 1021 July
Sept 544 Oct Dec 638
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Wildlife of Key Interest and MKE Habitat
Modifications
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WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

• Red-tailed Hawk
• Quick Identification
• Reddish upper tail
• White chest with dark belly
• band
• Dark bar on leading edge of
• underwing
• Pale mottling on scapulars
• often forms V
• Hazard Moderate

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WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

• Canada Geese
• Quick Identification
• Black head and neck
• White chin strap
• Dark wings and tail
• Dark wings and tail
• Hazard High

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WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

• Mallard
• Quick Identification
• Male iridescent green head
• Yellow bill
• Chestnut breast with narrow white neck
  -collar
• Black central tail feathers curl up
• Hazard High

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WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

• Ring-billed Gull
• Quick Identification
• Pale gray mantle
• Yellow bill with black ring near tip
• Yellowish legs and yellow eye
• Hazard High

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WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

• Herring Gull
• Quick Identification
• Larger than ring-billed gull
• Yellow bill with orange-red spot
• on lower part of jaw
• Adults have pink legs
• Juveniles mostly gray/dark-colored
• Hazard High

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WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

• European Starling
• Quick Identification
• Short tail
• Breeding Glossy purple-black with yellow
• bill
• Non-breeding Black speckled with white
• and buff, bill dark
• Hazard High

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WILDLIFE IDENTIFICATION

• Coyote
• Quick Identification
• Pelt is generally grayish
• brown to grayish buff
• Long tail with a black tip
• Muzzle appears slender
• and ears appear large
• Hazard Moderate

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Harassment Actions ( of each)
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Number of Reported Strikes
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MKE Strikes Per 100,000 Movements 2006
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