Birdstrikes: Why aeroecology should be aviation safety concern in India now more than ever?

Birds do not crash into aircraft on purpose. They are drawn to places where we have built airports — near garbage dumps, slaughterhouses, or feeding sites. Due to poor urban planning, this is commonplace in countries like India

India’s skies are buzzing. With more planes taking off every year and plans for over 250 airports by 2030, we are racing to become a global aviation leader. But as our wings spread, so does a hidden challenge: birds. Every year, birdstrikes — when birds collide with aircraft — cost the world’s aviation industry billions. In India, this is not just a number; it is a growing concern tied to how we live, build, and manage our cities. Field ecologists have spent years watching birds like black kites soar over Delhi, and they can see a story unfolding — one where aviation safety and ecology of aerial denizens meet. This is aeroecology, the study of how birds and other creatures use the skies, and it is time we paid attention.

Why birdstrikes matter

Bird-aircraft collisions, or birdstrikes, are not freak accidents. They are often predictable outcomes of poorly integrated urban planning, ecological neglect, and social practices that, while meaningful, sometimes put both people and wildlife at risk. India’s rapid urban expansion and aviation growth offer an opportunity to pause and reconsider the ways in which coexistence can be woven into our infrastructure — rather than be treated as a problem to be removed.

Imagine an aircraft speeding down a runway/alighting when a flock of birds crosses its path. A single collision can damage an engine or windshield, putting hundreds of lives at risk. In India, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has been tracking this issue for years. Back in 2010, they started an Ornithology Cell to figure out which, how and where birds do cause the most trouble. Once, vultures were the main problem, making up over 70% of strikes. But after their numbers dropped due to a drug called diclofenac poisoning livestock, black kites (also known as Cheel), took over. Today, these sharp-eyed, agile opportunistic scavengers account for 62% of damaging birdstrikes in India. Other birds such as lapwings, bar-headed geese, and swifts, also play a role, especially near cities.

Birds, however, are not new to the skies. They have migrated, nested, and foraged across the globe long before air routes and radars took over. Their presence around airports is not random. In many cases, it is intimately tied to our own behaviour — especially our relationship with waste and food. Birds do not crash into aircraft on purpose. They are drawn to places where we have built airports — near garbage dumps, slaughterhouses, or feeding sites. Due to poor urban planning, this is commonplace in countries like India. Kites, for instance, love food scraps and waste. When we put their dining table next to a runway, trouble follows.

Cities on the rise

India’s cities are growing fast. From Delhi to Mumbai, urban areas are swallowing up fields and forests. This is not bad just for birds — it is a problem for aircraft too. Airports often end up near expanding towns, where birds already live or feed. In Delhi, where kites were studied in December 2017 (Urban Ecosytems), the city’s trash piles are a feast for them. They have learned to swoop in for meat from ritual feedings or pick through open dumps. It is not just a local issue. Across India, new airports are built without always checking where birds hang out.

Then there is the phenomenon of bird and insect migration. A September 2020 study in Scientific Reports found that India sits under the Central Asian Flyway, a massive sky road for birds traveling from Central Asia/Siberia to warmer South Asian and similar tropical lands. Millions pass through each year, and their routes often overlap with our flight paths. Black-eared kites, a migratory cousin of our resident kites in India, flock to urban landfills by the thousands. As cities spread, these overlaps get riskier. Studies tracking black-eared kites using GPS telemetry have shown massive flocks congregating around urban dumps, especially in winter when migratory populations swell. These birds are not just visitors. They are now an integral part of the city’s ecological rhythm, moving between high-rise buildings, meat markets, flyovers, and landfills in search of food.

Waste: A bird’s buffet

At the heart of the birdstrike issue is the question of waste. India generates over 1,60,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day, and much of it is not managed through formal systems. Open landfills become feeding grounds for dogs, kites, crows, and cows. These sites are ecologically active, supporting not only birds but also thousands of informal waste workers, recyclers, and scavengers. In India, we produce mountains of garbage — food scraps, slaughterhouse leftovers, even offerings from rituals. An April 2020 study (Frontiers for Young Minds) found that birds such as kites see this as an all-you-can-eat buffet — sometimes in flocks of up to 10,000 individuals at Ghazipur landfill. In Delhi, up to 90% of breeding kites rely on meat tossed during rituals (February 2019, Scientific Reports). A tradition that has been around for centuries may now be inadvertently pulling birds closer to airports.

There is a rule in the aviation sector — over 100 years old — that says garbage dumps and feeding sites should stay 10 km away from airports. But as cities grow, the rule gets ignored. Open landfills near runways are like magnets for scavengers. And it is not just about attracting birds. When they eat spoiled or waste laced with pathogens or heavy metals/other chemicals, it can make them sick or weak, raising the odds they will stumble into an aircraft’s path. There are broader consequences to this convergence. Migratory birds using India’s Central Asian Flyway traverse thousands of kilometres between Eurasia and the Indian subcontinent. Along the way, they can carry viruses like avian influenza or other flu. When these birds congregate in large numbers near urban dumps or water bodies shared with livestock and humans, the risk of zoonotic spillover increases.

However, waste-bird relationship is not all bad, though. Kites and other scavengers clean up our mess, keeping streets less dirty. The Swachh Bharat campaign has pushed for cleaner cities, but it has not fully tackled how birds fit into this system. We need to balance their role with the risks they bring.

How birds behave

Birds are smart. They use their eyes, ears, and even the Earth’s magnetic field to get around. But cities confuse them. Bright lights at night throw off their sense of direction. Loud noises drown out their calls. And all the chaos — cars, buildings, wires — makes it tough to dodge danger. For migrating birds, it’s worse. After flying thousands of kilometres, they venture into an ever-changing urban landscape, and are more likely to make mistakes. Urban environments themselves can act as stressors. Artificial lighting, high noise levels, and pollutants alter bird physiology, navigation, and reproductive behaviour. These shifts, known as ecological traps, can reduce bird fitness and push species into behaviours that increase their vulnerability — including ill-timed flights across runways. 

Juvenile birds, for example, are particularly at risk. This “evolutionary trap” of seemingly abundant but low-quality food can affect their physical condition and judgement, potentially making them less able to avoid a fast-approaching aircraft. With little experience and poor flight control, they are more likely to collide with aircraft or get disoriented in city lights. Similarly, migratory flocks flying in low visibility conditions or during dusk and dawn hours face higher risks, especially when flight paths intersect with aircraft take-offs or landings.

Take the case of kites in Delhi. They have figured out when and where food shows up, adjusting their flights to match. An April 2019 study in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that these habits makes it easier to predict where they will be and when — a key information for keeping aircraft safe. It is not just kites, either. Birds like bar-headed geese follow set paths each year, paths we could map to avoid clashes.

Living together

Birds are not leaving, and neither are our aircraft, tying their fate in limited aerospace. So, how do we share the skies? It starts with planning. New airports need to steer clear of bird hotspots. Where that is not possible, we can manage waste better — cover bins, clean up regularly, maybe shift feeding spots farther away.

Technology helps too. Radars can spot bird flocks in real time, warning pilots. Noise devices can shoo birds off runways. Some places even use falcons to chase smaller birds away. But gadgets are not enough. People matter most. In Delhi, the IAF works with wildlife teams and locals to cut birdstrike risks during Republic Day fly-pasts. They move feeding sites and clear waste for a few days, and it works. It is proof that teamwork, where experienced researchers offer ecological solutions to wildlife managers (Department of Forest & Wildlife and Delhi government) and agencies like IAF can make a difference.

The bigger story

This concern is not just about aircraft and birds. It is a broader discussion about how we shape the world. When we build cities, we change where animals go and what they do. Kites tell us something — they boom where waste piles up, but struggle when changes affect their movement and survival. Their flights near airports point to bigger issues: sloppy waste habits, shrinking habitats, and rushed city growth.

Fixing this helps more than aviation. It is about making cities that work for humans and wildlife. Cleaner waste systems mean healthier birds and fewer strikes. Smarter planning means safer skies and thriving ecosystems. What is needed is adaptive, participatory planning — where aviation authorities, urban planners, waste managers, and communities work together to identify and reduce birdstrike risks without vilifying birds.

What we can do

India’s aviation growth won’t slow down, and it should not. But we need a plan that matches it with ecological know-how. Here is a start:

Study birds: Track their movements with tools like GPS to find high-risk spots near airports.

Fix waste: Set tougher rules for landfills and feeding sites near runways. Get communities involved in cleanups.

Use technology: Add radar and deterrents to airports. Build engines that can handle a strike better.

Talk to people: Teach folks about birdstrikes and waste. Work with schools, leaders, and groups who feed birds.

We cannot wait for a wake-up call. The skies are filling up, and birds are part of them. Acting now keeps everyone safer. The field of aeroecology — a relatively new branch of science — studies how animals use the airspace. It brings together radar ornithology, wildlife tracking, and behavioural ecology to better understand the aerial lives of birds, bats, and insects. In India, this field is still emerging, but its potential is enormous.

Final thoughts

As we fly into the future — on new air routes and in new aircraft — we must take with us the knowledge that the sky is not ours alone. Birds and planes do not have to fight for the sky. The risk of birdstrike is real, but it is not a random hazard. It is shaped by our own choices — about waste, about space, and about who we see as belonging in the city. With a little understanding, we can fly together. Cities will keep growing, and so will aviation. But if we listen to what birds tell us — through their flights, their habits, their struggles — we can build a future that is safe for all. As an ecologist, I see hope in birdlife soaring overhead. They are not just a risk, they are a reminder of the balance we need to strike.