Keeping Wildlife Planes Safe — One Bang at a Time
There are a few things you don’t expect to see at an airport. A deer sprinting across a taxiway is one of them.
That’s where our wildlife team comes in.
Sarah is our USDA wildlife biologist, and she leads the charge. She tracks animal patterns, helps us set long term strategies, and keeps us sharp on what to watch for. But here’s the thing: this isn’t just Sarah’s job.
Every airport coordinator, and even our co-ops, plays a role in keeping wildlife off the airfield.
I’ve personally chased coyotes, used bangers to scare off birds, flipped the sirens on at a group of geese, and tracked observations in the wildlife log. And I’m not alone. If we’re on the airfield, we’re looking out for wildlife. It’s one of those jobs that just becomes second nature.
Because keeping wildlife away isn’t optional. It’s critical for safety.
Why We Have a Wildlife Program at All
Airports are loud. Busy. Full of people and planes. Seems like a terrible hangout spot if you’re an animal, right?
Wrong.
From a coyote’s point of view, it’s a quiet open field. From a bird’s perspective, it’s a wide space with fewer predators. From a groundhog’s perspective… well, who knows what they’re thinking. But they show up too.
That’s why our wildlife program exists. To stop wildlife from getting too comfortable and putting aircraft at risk.
The Fence: Underground Defense
We have a tall security fence around the airfield. But the real secret is what’s under it.
Our fence goes about a foot underground. It’s designed that way to stop animals like foxes and groundhogs from digging underneath and making their way onto active parts of the airfield. It’s not perfect. Things still find their way in. But it helps more than you’d think.
It’s a small detail that makes a big difference in keeping wildlife out before we even have to deal with it.
Deer on the Airfield? We Have a Plan
Even with a good fence, deer sometimes still get in. And when they do, it’s a big deal.
If a deer is spotted on or near a runway, we close the runway immediately. No questions asked. A deer strike on takeoff or landing could cause major damage to an aircraft. So we don’t take chances.
Everyone knows what to do, from operations coordinators to airfield maintenance. We respond fast, work together, and do whatever it takes to remove the animal safely and get the runway back open.
Thankfully, this doesn’t happen often. But when it does, we’re ready.
Let’s Talk About Bangers and Screamers
Without a doubt, this is one of the most fun parts of my job.
We use a pyrotechnic launcher (basically a gun) to fire off bangers and screamers. These are non-lethal rounds that scare birds away. But they’re not just loud. They’re smart.
Screamers whistle through the air and mimic predator sounds. They make birds nervous before they even land.
Bangers explode like a firework midair, startling birds so they fly away quickly.
The launcher looks like a shotgun, and yeah, it’s a blast to use. There’s something uniquely satisfying about stepping out of a truck, loading a round, and firing it off into the sky to clear a flock of birds off the approach end of a runway.
Every time we use them, we’re doing two things. Scaring wildlife off and making sure the airfield is safe for the next plane.
Not Everything Can Be Scared Off
Much of our wildlife work is non-lethal. But not all of it.
There are times when deterrents don’t work. Sometimes the same animals keep returning to high risk areas. And sometimes we simply don’t have a safe window to harass them away.
That’s when we move to lethal control.
We don’t pretend it’s not part of the job. It is. It’s just not the part we lead with. Every action is logged, reviewed, and backed by safety protocols. Our job is to protect human lives, and sometimes that means making hard calls.
Bird Strikes: What Happens When It Goes Wrong
Bird strikes are one of the biggest reasons our program exists. And when they happen, we respond fast.
Here’s what that usually looks like:
We close the runway. If a plane reports a strike, we shut it down immediately to inspect the area.
We look for remains. It sounds rough, but most of the time, there’s bird remains on the runway.
We collect samples — feathers, tissue, or blood.
We send the samples to the Smithsonian. Yep, the actual Smithsonian. They run tests to identify the species of bird involved in the strike.
Sometimes we don’t hear about a strike until after the flight has landed at another airport. When that happens, we might still get involved by taking blood samples off the aircraft itself — even from the nose gear or wing.
Why do we do all this?
Because the more we know about what species are causing problems, the better we can target our prevention strategies. It makes our wildlife program smarter. And stronger.
Wildlife Work = Teamwork
One of the best parts of this job is the teamwork it takes to do it well.
I’ve been out on the airfield with two other trucks, chasing a coyote away from a runway. One person blocks, one pushes, one waits at the exit path. It’s like a weird game of real life Mario Kart, but with way more radios and safety checks.
Whether it’s me, another coordinator, one of our amazing co-ops, or Sarah herself, we all work together to respond quickly, coordinate movements, and make sure wildlife never has the upper hand.
Every Sighting Gets Logged
Whether it’s:
A bird flying overhead
A coyote near a taxiway
A nest on top of a sign
A strike
A harassment event
A trap and relocation
Or anything else…
We log it.
Our wildlife log is a living document. It’s how we track trends, spot problem areas, stay compliant with FAA requirements, and improve every season. When we say we care about safety, this is what that looks like in real life. Consistent, small actions taken over and over again.
Final Thought
Next time you're sitting in a window seat and see a truck off to the side of the runway with flashing lights or hear what sounds like fireworks in the distance, that’s us.
We’re out there working together, biologist, coordinator, co-op, doing our part to keep the airport safe.
It might look like a strange job from the outside.
But for us?
It’s just another day on the airfield.
Why I’m doing this
Partly because people keep asking me, “What do you do?” and I want to be able to point to something that actually shows it.
But mostly?
Because I don’t want to forget what I’m learning.
This job is crazy. It’s complicated. It’s full of nuance. You can work here for twenty years and still not know everything. And I don’t want the lessons to slip past me just because I didn’t take five minutes to write them down.
So this is my version of capturing it.
One post at a time. One story at a time. One lesson at a time.
If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the jet bridge, out past the taxiway lights, or behind those giant “AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY” doors… you’re in the right place.
Let’s get to work.