Wildlife reports are rising in the Great Lakes region, the FAA's regional office said, attributing the increase to higher wildlife activity in the seasonal months as well as to airport operators' efforts to report.
Effective wildlife hazard management requires accurate and consistent reporting, the agency said. The FAA reminds operators to review and evaluate a wildlife hazard management plan every 12 consecutive months or following an event such as an airliner that experiences multiple strikes, substantial damage or engine ingestion of any wildlife. Certified airports should contact their airport certification safety inspector after receiving substantial aircraft damage reports. Non-certified airports should contact their airports district office program manager.
Airports should take immediate action to alleviate wildlife hazards whenever they are detected, to include wildlife of a size or in numbers capable of causing any of the events listed or after observing birds in the traffic pattern or any wildlife on the movement area. Airports should also maintain an airport wildlife log to document activity and the airport’s mitigation actions, while ensuring any unknown remains are sent to the Smithsonian Institution, Feather Identification Lab per AC150-5200-32B.