25-05-2025
Crafty creatures used to reduce risk of bird strike
An Air New Zealand ATR-72 turboprop plane taxis past a wooden coyote silhouette at Dunedin Airport. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN
A pack of coyotes have been stalking the runway at Dunedin Airport.
They can be seen peering from out of the grass and have been known to not stay in the same spot for too long.
But the wooden silhouettes — not the real North American predator — are actually one of many tools used by the airport to reduce the risk of bird strike.
Business development general manager Megan Crawford said the "seven dogs and four cats" were made by its Airport Emergency Service team using plywood.
Designed to resemble predators to birds, the airport hoped the silhouettes would reduce the risk of bird strike "as much as possible", Ms Crawford said.
"We move them around the airport, so they don't stay in the same spot.
"But they're always in the grass area around the runway."
They had been using them for about eight months.
Bird strike resulting from wildlife including plovers, magpies and seagulls proved a "constant risk" that needed to be managed, as was the case at other airports.
One of the wooden coyote silhouettes at Dunedin Airport that have been given reflective eyes to "add realism". PHOTO: SUPPLIED
Gas cannons, "scaring devices" and other preventive measures, in addition to the silhouettes, were all tools the airport used to manage the risk of bird strike.
The effectiveness of the silhouettes to date had been difficult to gauge, Ms Crawford said.
"Anecdotally, bird numbers have been less on the airfield since the silhouettes have been introduced."
Airport crew chief Bruce Smaill said the silhouettes were made to resemble coyotes or dogs in a state of alert or hunting.
He said he copied the idea from the Christchurch City Council, who were using the same type of silhouettes to keep Canada geese off the grassy parked areas near the Avon River/Ōtākaro.
"I thought they might have the same effect on our problem birds and they have."
They also had reflective eyes "to add realism".
As long as they were moved regularly, the silhouettes would have the same effect as if a farmer's dog was present on the airfield, Mr Smaill said.
"We cannot have real dogs roaming for obvious reasons."
