Birds and Airplanes - the Conflict

The density of migrating and residential birds in Israel's airspace is a major threat to flight safety, both military and civilian. A collision between an aircraft and a bird is called a birdstrike. In the past three decades, the IAF has suffered over 3,400 birdstrikes. These birdstrikes are highly costly: 3 pilots were killed and 9 aircrafts crashed, causing damage of over 1,000,000$ per severe accident.

Remains of an F-16 tail hit by a Golden Eagle over the Judean Desert in December 1988
(photo courtesy of the IAF)

A research led by Yossi Leshem in the years 1983-1989, funded by the IAF, The Ministry of Science and Technology, the Society For the Protection of Nature in Israel and Tel-Aviv University, was aimed at studying migrating roots across Israel in order to find appropriate solutions to the problem.

Film: Flying With the Birds

The research held by Yossi Leshem led to the marking of Bird-Plagued Zones (BPZ) along the Israeli airspace, according to each migration season. These regulations were used for planning flight paths, in order to decrease the chances of bird-plane interactions as much as possible.

A map of Bird-Plagued Zones (BPZ) across Israel during autumn seasonal migration

The implementation of these regulations led to a decrease in the number of birdstrikes by 76%, thus saving the national defense budget over 700,000,000$, not to mention the lives of pilots. The Israeli Defense System, through the IAF, the Ministry of Defense and the Fisher Institute for Air and Space Strategic Studies, funds additional research to prevent bird strikes, led by the Israeli Ornithological Center and the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration at Latrun.

The implementation of the BPZ research, which led to a 76% decrease in birdsrikes since 1984

Additional efforts were made to increase the pilots' awareness to the problem. Briefings and conventions were held, and educational publicity was displayed in IAF camps. 

A poster hung in IAF bases, calling pilots to "Fly according to BPZ regulations"
(illustrations: Tuvia Kurtz)

The efforts to prevent birdstrikes did not end there: it was obvious that the problem had to be addressed on the ground as well as in the air. Today, the IAF Birding Department coordinates all the actions taken for prevention of birdstrikes in IAF bases across Israel. This prevention includes ecological regulation of runways environment (making it less appealing for birds), operating bird radars across the country, and using Border Collie dogs to chase birds off the runways. The dogs are operated by BCR (Border Collie Rescue), represented in Israel by Horesh Ecological Solutions.

A Border Collie near the runway in IAF base

Film: A Border Collie chasing away pelicans from runway in IAF base
(film by Horesh Ecological Solutions)

Understanding that bird migration and flight safety are an international issue (as said in the past – "birds know no boundaries"), shared by many countries, especially along the Great Rift Valley, the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration has promoted international cooperation on the subject.

International Seminar on Birds and Flight Safety in the Middle East 1999

In April 1999, Tel-Aviv University and the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration sponsored an international seminar on birds and flight safety in the Middle East. High ranking officers of the air forces of Greece, Turkey, Jordan, the United States and Israel were present. The Participants of the seminar resolved to engage in joint migration research through satellite telemetry tracking and joint motorized glider flights. This, together with a bird and weather network on one common system platform and one integrated information system, would create a regional real time warning system, which would help prevent birdstrikes and promote flight safety.
Unfortunately, due to political problems with the onset of violence thoughout the region in 2000, the database was not made a reality. However, the groundwork exists, in hope it could happen in the future.

The participants of the seminar at Yad Lashiryon memorial site at Latrun;
In the back: flags of participating countries and the International Center for the Study of Bird Migration radar (left).

To download the Proceedings of the Seminar (PDF) click here

Wings Over Africa Seminar 2001

The International Center for the Study of Bird Migration hosted an African seminar that dealt with research, conservation, education and flight safety. Forty-seven participants from 20 African countries and 6 other countries attended.

Delegates from the 20 African countries which participated in the seminar, posing with their respective flags.

To download the seminar booklet (PDF) click here

In 2005, during its 27th conference held in Athens, the International Bird Strike Committee awarded Dr. Yossi Leshem the Mike Kuhring Award for achievements of high significance in preventing birdstrikes. The committee stated that "his mission to connect safety with nature conservation via education has given bird strike prevention world wide appreciation".

Yossi Leshem receiving the award
(photo: Leonid Dinevich)