Vulture roost dispersal: improving Air safety at Eglin AFB

Flying Safety, Sept, 2002 by Dennis D. Teague

The scene of the bird problem was Eglin Air Force Base, the largest forested military reservation in the United States. This reservation is located in the Florida panhandle and consists of over 724 square miles (464,000 acres) of land range and over 130,000 square miles of water range across the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Eglin is home to numerous Air Force units and hosts units of the Army, Navy and Marines. It also has a joint use agreement with the Okaloosa County Regional Airport. Because of its significance to the total U.S. Department of Defense program, flights to and from Eglin are numerous and of vital importance.

In December 2001, the Eglin AFB Bird Hazard Working Group (BHWG) identified, a large vulture roost just north of the Eglin airfield. After the 2001 fall bird migration, an alarming number of vultures, or "buzzards," had settled in to over-winter in an old roost area being used by a group of resident vultures. Until that time, vulture sightings by military pilots departing and landing on Eglin's Runway 19 had become more frequent but no roost had been documented. Immediate action by members of the BHWG located the roost, determined it not to be on Eglin property, and estimated the size to be a mix of approximately 200 Turkey Vultures (Cathartes aura) and Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus). The roost was established in a flood plain forest just south of the junction of a powerline and Turkey Creek in the city of Niceville. It was located less than two miles off the direct centerline of the final approach of Eglin's Runway 19. Some old-time area residents said vulture sightings were not uncommon in this area sinc e the early 1940s, but none remembered seeing as many in such a large concentration as were there in 2001.

A few words on these birds: Turkey and Black Vultures are large scavenger-type raptors that weigh in at an average of 4.5 pounds and are a common sight in the Florida sky, soaring on thermals in search of carrion. These migratory birds are communal in nature and different groups or individuals may gather in one location to roost together at night. According to Air Force Safety Center birdstrike statistics, since 1985 the Turkey Vulture has accounted for 438 birdstrikes putting it in third place for monetary losses to Air Force aircraft, with a $35,919,004.04 price tag. The Black Vulture is not far behind, in eighth place with 166 strikes and $9,291,671.66 in damages. Looking at these statistics (Air Force only), it is easy to understand why, with their size, track record and increasing numbers, these birds should be considered a serious threat for all aircraft pilots.

Immediately after the discovery of the roost, an emergency BHWG meeting was convened to assess the threat of the roost to Eglin aircraft and to determine a plan of action. In order to insure the safety of all aircraft utilizing Eglin airfield and avoid a catastrophic situation, a decision was made to attempt to disperse the roost to another location. Even though the roost had been in the area since the 1940s, knowledge of the roost location and the increased number of vulture reports by military pilots justified this decision. Now, the problem was how to get rid of over 200 vultures from an area that had been utilized as a roost for over half a century.

The BHWG realized this effort was going to be challenging and forged ahead to develop a plan. The implementation of this dispersal effort would require coordination between federal and state agencies, local governments and private landowners. The roost was not on Air Force property, and the BHWG was not sure who owned the property or what type of reception they might receive when they presented their request to disperse the roost. In addition, the reaction of the public to the removal effort was another major concern. A city-owned nature trail boardwalk had been opened along Turkey Creek and passed near the middle of the roost. On evening strolls along the boardwalk, local residents enjoyed seeing the vultures coming in to roost. The only harassment tools available for the BHWG to use were pyrotechnics, a federal depredation permit and propane cannons. Utilizing any of these tools in this particular situation would definitely attract unwanted attention.

Contact was first made with the Air Force Safety Center Bird/Wildlife Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) Team. The BASH Team is always the first and best resource to contact when an Air Force installation has questions or issues about bird or wild life problems. The next contact was the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who provided the BHWG with all the state requirements. Then contact was made with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Regional Office. The USFWS permits coordinator informed Eglin that its federal depredation permit could not be used for this project, since the roost was not on Air Force property. Also, vultures are a federally protected migratory species and may not be taken (killed) without a special permit. All of the above agencies recommended that Eglin work with the Wildlife Services of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This agency has the experience and expertise in vulture roost dispersal and all the required permits and equipment to comple te the task.