One of two avian radars located at SEA. This one is in a ditch adjacent to the third runway.

Have you ever looked up in the sky, seen a hawk or eagle soaring, and admired the beauty? Although exciting, the birds can cause major problems for aviation.

The “Miracle on the Hudson” is a prime example of why birds and aircraft do not mix.  But what do airports do to ensure that our journeys, from one airport to the next, are safe? I recently took a tour of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and saw what their wildlife management team was doing to keep both airplanes and birds safe.

A Snowy Owl is captured at SEA, then released in the upper part of Washington state, near Bellingham – Photo: SEA

SEA has been a leader in wildlife management since the 1970s, when they were the first airport to hire a dedicated wildlife biologist onto their staff.  At the moment, Steve Osmek runs the wildlife program at the airport and has done so for a number of years.  Previously coming from the USDA and NOAA, he gets to combine his love of animals and an interest in aviation into on job.  It was Steve who took me around the airport and introduced me to a number of ways that the airport is helping to mitigate bird strikes.