In a recent Advisory Circular on wildlife hazards to aviation (PDF), the FAA ranked the white-tailed deer as the most dangerous animal, with 84 percent of deer strikes causing damage to the aircraft. The rest of the top 10 hazards are birds, especially the snow goose, turkey vulture and Canada goose. The only other mammal in the top 20 is the coyote. The FAA notes that the ranking includes only species with at least 100 reported strikes of civil aircraft, and the hazard scores are based on the amount of damage and the effect on the flight.
Several hazardous species, such as great egrets, black vultures and white pelicans, are not ranked only because they had not been struck often enough to make the cut. “Although these hazard rankings can help focus hazardous wildlife management efforts on those species or groups that represent the greatest threats to safe air operations in the airport environment,” the AC notes, “care should be given to consider any hazardous species of significant mass, flocking or flight behavior, or habitat preferences [as a danger to aircraft].” In 2016, pilots reported 13,408 wildlife strikes. Reports can be submitted online or via mobile phone.
