BIRD HAZARD ASSESSMENT: RISK ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS BETWEEN BIRDS AND AIRCRAFT AT THE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AUGUSTO C. SANDINO, MANAGUA, NICARAGUA

Abstract

The bird hazard is the risk of strike between birds and aircraft. To reduce this risk is necessary to understand the nature of birds that live in and around the airport and sort they numerically based on the danger they represent, but also knowing seasons, months of the year, time of day, weather conditions, attractors (cover, food and water) that increase the abundance and richness of birds in airport areas. In order to get information, two observation places were established: one on the green areas around the landing area in order to record the bird species that make use of this site permanently or temporarily, and the other in the control tower, to determine routes of heavier birds, high-flying gregarious in a radius 3000 m centered on the control tower. The most frequently observed species in the landing area were Hirundo rustica, Quiscalus mexicanus, Molothrus aeneus, Columbina talpacoti and Columba livia. The most frequent species observed form the control tower were Coragyps atratus, Zenaida asiatica, Molotrus aeneus and Quiscalus mexicanus. Around the landing area and from the control tower, abundance and richness of birds do not varied significantly along the months of the year. In the landing area, the abundance increased significantly during the dry dry season between 06:00 - 07:00 p.m., mainly due to the presence of Q. mexicanus and H. rustica. Richness during the dry season and abundance and richness during the rainy season do not varied significantly. From the control tower, there were not significantly increases in birds abundance and richness during the dry season, but abundance increased during the rainy season between 11:00 - 13:00 p.m., mainly due to C. atratus activities during that period of the day. Abundance of birds around the landing area depend on climates conditions, rising when rain and clouds increased, and decreases when increasing wind speed and temperature. Birds activities observed from the control tower do not varied with daily climates conditions variations. The species that make more use of the airport’s perimeter netting perch were: Passers domesticus, Columbina talpacoti, Tyrannus melancholicus, Crotophaga sulcirostris y Tyrannus forficatus. Preferred nesting sites within the airport were almond trees (Terminalia Catapa), Mango (Manguifera indica) and within the installations of the fire department, control tower and hangars. C. atratus and Q. mexicanus were the most dangerous species for aviation, followed by C. livia, C. talpocati, H. rustica and M. aeneus. North and west area, and some part of the south area of the airport were the more risky zones for bird hazard mainly because the presence of C. atratus. The specie Q. mexicanus was more frequently observe at the south-west part. The sources of attraction for birds range from ideal sites for habitat, shelter, and nesting and food source that include vegetables, insects, vertebrates, junkyards and slaughterhouses.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/calera.v11i16.750

La Calera Vol. 11, No 16 p. 33-42/junio 2011