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What we're trying to prevent. But when they do happen it's important not to let that data slip past.
The collection of accurate and detailed strike data along with observation data and data from all of your control measures paint a picture of what is going on at your airport. If your airport is lucky enough to have a biologist then he or she can use that total picture to make recommendations
Unlike the military, there is no requirement for civilian pilots to report strikes so education and inclusion is the order of the day. The challenge is on you to spread the word and convince aircrews, maintenance, ground crews, and other airport employees to be your ally in collecting and reporting strikes. Remember, AC 150/5200-32B - Reporting Wildlife Aircraft Strikes is available as a reference.
"Snarge" What's that?
Some might think that without solid remains that there's little chance of getting a species identification and therefore filing report is a waste, but it's not so! If you have a strike but no "remains on the runway" there may still be some very usable evidence to obtain. Called "snarge", it's the blood, body fluids, and maybe even small body feathers that remain on the aircraft at the point of impact and if collected properly can solve the mystery of what was struck. Snarge can be very difficult to find so you may need to ask the flight crew for their best guess as to where to point of impact.
Feathers
Feathers can be a real help in species identification both in terms, (a.) that's all you've got, and (b.) you've got more but you've never seen this bird before in your life. In both of these cases and in the case of snarge samples, all of this material can be send to the Smithsonian Institution, Feather Identification Lab.
YouTube: USDA | Bird Strikes: How to Collect, Ship Remains, and Have Bird Remains Identified
The key thing with feathers is:
Try a get a good variety of them (i.e. primaries, secondaries, body, down, tail, etc.), don't just pick up three feathers and call it good
If you're collecting from the body of the bird, always puck -- never cut
How to Submit Bird Remains
If you are submitting a bird strike, please also collect and submit bird remains for identification. Knowing what types of birds are involved in wildlife strikes is extremely useful in developing successful wildlife management programs.
To submit bird remains:
1. Place the feathers and other material in a re-sealable plastic bag.
2. Include a copy of the report you printed in Step 2. If you entered your phone number or email address, we will contact you with the identification.
3. For US Postal Service, recommended for routine cases, send to:
Feather Identification Lab, NHB E-600, MRC 116
Smithsonian Institution
P.O. Box 37012
Washington, D.C. 20013-7012
4. For overnight shipping (e.g. FedEx, DHL, UPS), recommended for damaging or priority cases, send to:
Feather Identification Lab, MRC116
National Museum of Natural History
1000 Constitution Avenue NW
Washington, D. C. 20560-0116
Note: This bird identification service is provided without charge to all United States registered aircraft owners/operators, regardless of where the strike occurred, and to all aircraft owners/operators when the strike occurred at a US airport. For additional information about submitting bird remains, see CERTALERT 03-03 and/or contact the Feather Identification Lab at 202-633-0801.
Strike Kits
Strike kits are a good way to have everything you need at your finger tips when you're off to investigate, but kits don't have to just be for you. With a little training and some encouragement and communications you could have others collecting strike information for you!
What you'll need:
Re-sealable Plastic Bags -- a medium sized Ziploc bag (sandwich sized or bigger) to place
Alcohol Wipes -- pre-packaged alcohol wipes for collecting “snarge” off of aircraft (Alcohol is better than water at preserving DNA, preventing mold growth, and is more sanitary for humans. Alternatively, use a spray bottle with 70% alcohol to spray the area before wiping with paper towels. Do not use bleach wipes, it destroys DNA. - Smithsonian)
PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) -- Latex or Nitrile exam gloves (at minimum, protective eyewear and masks if you desire), hand cleaner sanitizer wipes (just don't get these confused with the alcohol wipes you're using for the strike)
Information Collection Card -- basically the information you'll need to generate the strike report
Date and time of strike
Runway Used, Operator Name, Aircraft Registration, Make/Model, Phase of Flight, Height, and Speed
Part of the aircraft struck, any damages
Size of bird and number of them observed
Having printed out trifolds with your kits is a great way to walk someone through snarge collection and strike reporting. (Below is an example of such, from the Long Beach Airport in California.)
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