Avian Survey Methods for Use at Airports

Adverse effects and damage caused by interactions between humans and wildlife are increasing (DeStephana and DeGraaf 2003). To manage wildlife effectively- whether to mitigate damage. to enhance safety, or to reach conservation goals-wildlife biologists must identify hazards posed by or to members of a particular species (i.e., a population) or guild, and then prioritize management goals and specific actions. We examine the special problem of managing birds to reduce hazards to aviation, particularly those species known to cause structural damage to aircraft when struck and that ·pose problems to airport facilities (Dolbeer et al. 2000, Cleary and Dolbeer 2005, DeVault et al. 2011). Effective management of hazardous species at airports requires knowledge of species abundance and how abundance varies over time. In this context, the quality of the sampling methodology used will influence a biologist\u27s ability to accurately quantify avian hazards and to understand the ecological interactions of populations or guilds using airport environments