Aircraft collisions with birds pose obvious risks to the safety of humans and wildlife. In “Migratory Canada geese cause crash of US Airways Flight 1549”, a paper published in the August issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, Dr. Peter Marra and his colleagues conducted a forensic investigation of a birdstrike event, related to the highly publicized ditching of a commercial jetliner in New York City’s Hudson River earlier this year. Using specialized analytical techniques, Dr. Marra’s team examined tissues and other clues obtained at the scene to learn more about the birds involved – information that could be useful in determining proper management/mitigation strategies. In this month’s edition of Beyond the Frontier, listen to Dr. Marra discuss this detective story, and describe his plans for future research.

 

 Avian migration and commercial aviation [3:46m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download