Date of this Version During the 1966 Bird Control Seminar, we
began to look at birds as a hazard to air- craft, and a possible
new role was emerging for the pest control industry. Ten years
later, we have yet to see the concept of bird control as seen
through the eyes of our Canadian and European counterparts. You
know of the assistance role the Air Force is playing in reducing
bird strikes, and the Federal Aviation Administration is
beginning to actively participate in bird control programs.
Success has been seen in habitat modification as a means of
reducing bird strikes. The Canadians (Blokpoel, 1976) have
reduced damaging bird strikes significantly. Air Canada’s
average yearly cost for damage in 1959-63 was $173,000. From
1969-73, just ten years later, this figure was reduced to an
average of $86,000 per year. This is remarkable when you con-
sider the increases in flight operations, repair costs, and
inflation over the ten-year period. Modification of the airfield
environment is possible, and the Air For