MANAGEMENT OF SILVER GULLS TO PREVENT BIRD STRIKES AT SYDNEY AIRPORT

A bird strike is defined as a collision between a bird and an aircraft. While most bird strikes cause little or no damage to the aircraft, some incidents can be fatal and at the least, very costly. The majority of bird strikes occur during landing or take-off thus the focus of bird management is centered around the airport environments. The geographical features surrounding Sydney Airport include a number of bird-attracting water bodies: Botany Bay, Botany Wetlands, the Cooks River and Alexandra Canal. These features attract a diverse and abundant assemblage of migratory and coastal bird species including silver gulls (Larus novaehollandiae). Gulls are one of the most commonly struck species worldwide and at Sydney Airport silver gulls account for 43% of all bird strikes. This poster presents information on the spatial and temporal movements of gulls in and around Sydney. It also outlines how the combination of a number of different management techniques have been designed to prevent bird strikes with this species and ultimately to improve air safety at Sydney Airport