Eight years ago there occurred a “miracle on the Hudson” when “Sully” Sullenberger (now a major motion picture) managed to safely land U.S. Airways Flight 1549 after colliding with a flock of geese and nearly crashing just three minutes after taking off from New York City’s LaGuardia airport. Apparently, New York City’s airports have been indiscriminately exacting revenge on all bird-kind ever since.
An Associated Press analysis published on Saturday found that since the 2009 “miracle”, bird-killing programs at New York City’s three major airports have slain some 70,000 gulls, starling, geese and other birds. I was not aware that airports typically have bird-killing programs and this alone is terrifying.
But also, like, why are authorities killing these birds? Do they understand how the sky works? My understanding is that it’s big, and open, and nature tends to drift through it no matter if there happens to be an airport below. “It is not clear whether those killings have made the skies safer,” notes the AP. Then why?
Maybe some of these birds are making homes in airports, waddling around like they own the place. But, as the article points out, there are other, less lethal ways to disperse nested birds such as lasers (???) and introducing certain insects to the area.
Anyway, happy weekend, I hope the birds never realize what we are doing to them.
[via the Associated Press]
