A particular highlight was the attendance and presentation from Dr Richard Dolbeer from the United States. Often referred to as the godfather of modern wildlife hazard management, Dr Dolbeer spoke on the history of establishing bird strike data, gathering and monitoring events in North America, and using the data in a more predictive way.

The event saw a quarter of the delegates join from international locations including USA, NZ, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia showing how relevant the AAWHG is, especially in the Asia Pacific region, to sharing knowledge, expertise and experiences in this specialist area.

The theme for the 2026 conference was ‘The Wildlife Hazard Management Jigsaw – Bringing the pieces together’. The conference brought together government representatives from Australia and internationally, operators, pilots, air traffic control, accident investigation bodies, wildlife biologists and subject matter experts, industry associations, major and regional airports and service/product suppliers in a demonstration of just how many different stakeholders and diverse interests must be involved to manage this risk effectively.

We heard that an airline bird strike involving engine ingestion can easily cost the airline USD$1 million in damage repairs, plus expenses for the schedule disruption – showing that bird strike/wildlife strike is an area requiring careful and methodical attention. Catastrophic outcomes such as the ‘Miracle on the Hudson’, or the 2025 Jeju Air B737 accident where multiple bird strikes initiated the tragic chain of events are rare, so it’s easy to forget the importance of the constant effort involved in managing, monitoring and measuring the data that goes into rigorous safety/wildlife hazard management.

The presentation on DNA identification and/or feather identification together showed how important it is to accurately identify the exact species of bird involved in the strike and how this knowledge is vital in choosing the correct tools to manage the problematic wildlife. Given the fact that H₅N₁ has now reached Australia, it was timely to have Dr Jeff McKee’s presentation on the development, spread and potential impact of the avian flu, and a reminder of using correct PPE and procedures when dealing with animal carcasses within the airport’s area of responsibility.