It&#x27;s a Eurocopter AS350 which has a cruise speed of about 150MPH and a top speed around 180MPH.<p>Bird strikes aren&#x27;t all that common. Certainly they happen, but it&#x27;s not an ongoing massacre up there. For one, birds are equipped with good vision and hearing, and a strong instinct for self-preservation. When a small aircraft does hit a large bird, the result is extremely messy and sometimes fatal.