How does the Ornithological Service of the Domodedovo Airport

In the list of reasons why the most frequent aircraft occur, in the first places are technical malfunctions, the human factor and collisions of aircraft with birds.

If the feathers are on the way of following the aircraft at the time of takeoff or landing, the consequences can be the most serious: from the crack in the windshield to the failure of all engines. Fortunately for passengers, in airports of the whole world, and in our, among other things, special ornithological services are working, which are monitored in order to be in the territory there were no feathers: flushed with the help of traps or specially trained hawks, and also distinguishes devices for scaring birds. Our correspondent met the ornithologist of Domodedovo airport and personally took part in the patrol of the territory in the company with a hawk named Brunchild.

Nine-month-old Brunchild – one of the five wastresses, which are contained at Domodedovo Airport to provide ornithological safety flights. Together with his partner – an ornithologist Ivan Jübak – she patrols the territory and leaves for urgent challenges.

The signal can be filed as the crew of the ship preparing to take off or landing and any airfield employee who has noticed birds near the flight field. For 15-30 minutes, the ornithologist is obliged to arrive at the place and take measures: depending on the situation, he can scare away the bird with the help of a signal pistol, rocket launcher, or catch it, releasing a hawk. The second method is less humane, but more efficient.

"If the bird caught our hawk, her fate is unquoser: she will be eaten as a reward. Although it often happens that the bird is caught alive and closer at the haastle. If the birds are caught by networks or traps, we usually give them to a nursery or a rehabilitation center, where they are hugged and fed, or simply release, turn away from the airport, "says Ivan Dzubak.

On the head of Brunhilda, a special headdress will be put – bugs: thanks to him the bird does not see what is happening around, and behaves calmer. During hut, bugs are removed and the predator sees her prey.

The Hawk "works" is usually on an empty stomach, and it is easy for him to catch up and neutralize even such large birds like a crane or goose. For example, on the day of our joint raid, Brunchild managed to have breakfast wild duck.

If the hawk was born, this day will not hunt. Sokolnik every time himself evaluates the situation and makes a decision when feeding a bird. Therefore, the pet is usually fed after the working day: when all wild feathers are already bent.

According to Ivan, his work has a lot in common with the hunt, but at the lowest opportunity, he tries to save prey, offering Brunchild in return to the caught living individuals of meat – for such cases, the quail carcasses are specifically purchased. In total, five people are employed in the ornithological service, but only two are working with animal birds – in two days in two days, from 8 am to 9 pm without night shifts. "We have two birds for one person: there is a beloved wife, there is an unloved and reserve – one on all," Ivan jokes and explains that the Hawks are the wellkeepers once a year linen and during molts do not participate in duty – physical exertion in This period is undesirable for them.

Training of young hawks lasts about two months. "My task is to make the bird believed: catch prey with me much easier than without me, – Ivan explains. – I am not a bird owner or a pointer, what to do and how, I am an assistant. She understands that I am really useful – I can attribute it to such places to which she herself will not get: at the distance of throw from the extraction ".

According to Ivan, he studied working with animal birds at his own request from the experienced Sokolnikov of Moscow in parallel with studying in the Timiryazev Academy at the Zooenněžnoye Faculty. It is thanks to his hobby and the ability to work with birds, he was noticed and invited to the interview to Domodedovo Airport.

In addition to working with catching birds, the tasks of Ivan and his colleagues include the inspection of the airfield and its surroundings within a radius of 30 km, as well as equipment maintenance: these are propane guns, imitating the sound of a rifle shot, and visual repellents (bright balls filled with air painted as Eye of the birds of prey), and anti-playing devices (plastic "hedgehogs" and steel strings that are installed so that the bird cannot sit on a protected place), and the belongings (traps with lure bait, special networks for fishing), and bioacoustic installations which broadcast the voices of birds signing about danger.

On the day of our trip Ivan and his colleagues launched a new sound track. It recorded shots and screams of fell into the misfortune: Choices, Raven, Gusey, and DR. As idea, these sounds should cause a surfing horror in all approaching birds and force them to change the route. Although each device is effectively in itself, in the aggregate they work better. For example, if a "gun shot" sounds from a propane gun, and then the cries of birds will begin to be broadcast, signaling the danger, it will work twice as efficiently than separately.

On the remote section of the airfield, we pass the trap with the corners, they are quite a lot in the cage. I remember the film "Night Watch" and the soundtrack "And then it’s a misfortune, like on notes: The crow flew into the turbine of the aircraft …". But, as Ivan explains, this genus of birds is the least dangerous for aircraft: being smarter than his fellow, they feel and understand that they should not be parted to huge machines with working turbines, and they are successfully avoided. "Danger primarily represent two categories of feathered: these are chicken (partridges and tetherov) and waterfowl and chassis birds (geese, ducks, seagulls, slices). Neither the other group does not particularly shine intelligence. They are very difficult to understand what aircraft are and how risk it is risked to them ".

Spring and autumn – the most intense periods in the work of the ornithological service, since the migration of feathered at this time. "During the migration of the birds, they are very tired, they need an increased amount of feed, and when they see such beautiful fields here – the places that are cleaned, smoked and on which, at first glance, they do not threaten anything – they arrive here to relax and get down." – explains Ivan. The airport staff is trying to make the territory of Domodedov as unattractive as possible for flying guests: dried out the reservoirs, scrape the grass, eliminate trees and shrubs and t. NS.

The most dangerous for pointed airplanes, knocking in flocks: seagulls, pigeons, honeycombs. "If such a pack of something is scared and decides to fly towards the strip, then when a collision with an aircraft can make very big problems for it. Chicken birds are large, there are many of them, and damage can be quite serious. Plus they are very tied to the territory. For example, a flock of partridges can remain here until it is completely eliminated. I am practically impossible to drive such a flock and forever, "explains Ivan.

The ornithological service in Domodedovo appeared in the 1980s, but the little birds began to use 14 years ago, in 2002 – it was a know-how for Russia, based on the experience of Spanish colleagues. All techniques and equipment are certified and recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – according to Ivan, they use the same technologies as airports of the whole world, and follow the experience of other countries. To date, feathered hunters work in the largest air harbors of the United States, England, Spain, Canada – more than 20 countries.