Information sheets

Tips and tricks for industry, from industry – sharing information to improve safety.

• Information sheet 1 (337kb) details a cost-effective, highly successful fence extension to deter kangaroos from hopping over an airport boundary fence.
• Information sheet 2 (406kb) the AAWHG recommends what wildlife hazard management activities the aviation industry should undertake or maintain during the COVID-19 downturn.

Species information

• The Australian Magpie is one of the most common species found on airfields across Australia. Recent research suggest that they exhibit increased tolerance of aircraft noise on airports which may influence their strike risk. Find the research here www.publish.csiro.au/WR/WR18039
• Managing bird strike risk—species information sheets A useful guide for airport operators and pilots developed by the Australian Airports Association (AAA) and Avisure, with the support of the AAWHG, using data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
• Birdlife.org.au is a great resource for bird identification.
• Atlas of Living Australia is a collaborative, digital, open infrastructure that pulls together Australian biodiversity data from multiple sources, making it accessible and reusable.
• Animal factsheets Discover the astonishing variety of mammals, birds, reptiles, marine life and more in the Australian Museum collections.
• Flying fox information (Australian Pteropus species)—useful information on the location, habitat, diet, behaviour and lifespan of this species, produced by the Australian Museum.

• Bat factsheets 12 ‘Bat Fact Packs’ that provide important information on a range of commonly asked bat questions.

Forms

• Request for wildlife airstrike DNA identification – Had a wildlife strike and submitting a sample to the Australian Museum’s Centre for Wildlife Genomics? Share the data: check the box giving permission for the strike DNA report to be shared with the ATSB

Wildlife hazard management plans

• The AAWHG, together with the Australian Airports Association and Avisure, have updated the Wildlife Hazard Management Plan template.  (838 kb)
  This template is a useful resource for airports wishing to develop or update a wildlife hazard management plan. You can easily remove non-relevant sections and tailor the content to suit your airport’s size and complexity.
  The template contains detailed instructions on how to use it, but if you have any further questions, please contact info@aawhg.org.
• Wildlife hazard management at aerodromes/CASA advisory circular (AC) 139-26(0)
  The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA), with the support of the AAWHG, has published its first Advisory Circular on Wildlife Hazard Management at Aerodromes.
  The AC provides information for aerodrome operators on monitoring, managing and reporting their wildlife hazards according to applicable regulations and standards.

Safety Information

• Misrepresentation of Lasers used for Airport Wildlife Management
  Airports or other institutions that are planning to purchase or trial laser devices marketed for wildlife dispersal should ensure that, prior to commissioning a laser device, its classification and specifications are independently validated by an accredited testing agency and that commensurate safety protocols are adopted.
  Download laser safety bulletin here
  

Research papers

• Runway roadkill: a global review of mammal strikes with aircraft.
  Moose and white-tailed deer in North America, bats and kangaroos in Australia, hares and rabbits in Europe … a new study (February 2021), in Mammal Review: ‘Runway roadkill: a global review of mammal strikes with aircraft’ shows mammal strikes are on the rise. Download report here
• Insects and aviation safety:
  The case of the keyhole wasp Pachodynerus nasidens (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) in Australia Download insects and aviation safety here

The Bird Hazard Investigation Unit

The Australian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) established the Bird Hazard Investigation Unit (BHIU) in 1975 in response to a number of serious bird strikes, including two silver gull strikes at Sydney Airport. This video was produced by the CAA and the BHIU in the 1980s to raise awareness of wildlife hazard management. Sadly, the unit was disbanded in 1991.