A: There have been about 344,000 reported wildlife strikes with civil aircraft in USA between 1990 and 2025 (about 24,500 strikes at 870 U.S. airports in 2025). An additional 5,700 strikes have been reported by U.S. Air Carriers at 351 foreign airports, 1990–2025.

A: About 54% of bird strikes occur from July to October which is when young birds recently have fledged from nests and fall migration occurs.

A: About 62% of bird strikes with civil aircraft occur in day, 8% occur at dawn or dusk, and 30% occur at night.

A: A: About 61% of bird strikes with fixed-wing civil aircraft occur during landing phases of flight (descent, approach and landing roll); 36% occur during take-off run and climb; and the remainder (3%) occur during the en-route phase. For helicopters, about 75% of strikes occur en-route.

A: About About 70% of strikes occur between 0 and 500 feet above ground level. From 1990-2025, there were 35 strikes with commercial aircraft at heights from 20,000-32,000 feet AGL.

A: Globally, wildlife strikes have killed more than 655 people and destroyed over 350 civil and military aircraft from 1990-2025.

A: From 1990 to 2025, there were 384 human injuries attributed to wildlife strikes with U.S. civil aircraft.

A: On October 4, 1960, Eastern Air Lines Flight 375 struck a flock of European starlings during take-off. All four engines were damaged, and the aircraft crashed in Boston harbor. There were 62 fatalities. On December 29, 2024, Jeju Air Flight 2216 crashed during landing at Muan International Airport, South Korea after ingesting Baikal teal in both engines. There were 179 fatalities.

A: For civil aircraft in USA, wings and engines are the components most frequently damaged by bird strikes; each accounting for 25% of all damaged aircraft components from 1990 to 2023.

A: The projected costs for civil aircraft in USA have averaged about $272 million per year from 1990-2025.

A: Most bird strikes are reported by pilots and airport personnel. For additional information please visit the FAA Wildlife Strike Database.

A: Please watch the released USDA instructional video and see the "Resources" box on the Smithsonian Institution Feather Identification Lab page to learn more about collecting wildlife remains for identification.

A: The first reported bird strike was by Orville Wright while flying over a corn field in Ohio in 1905.

A: Many remains are identified by trained wildlife biologists working at the airports. The Smithsonian Institution's Feather Identification Laboratory is able to identify a bird species from its remains. Depending on the condition of the remains, birds can be identified based on physical characteristics, feather fragments, and/or DNA analysis. For additional information, please visit the Smithsonian Institution Feather Identification Lab page.

A: Not all remains are saved or sent to the Smithsonian Feather Lab for identification. In 2025, 55% of the remains from reported strikes with civil aircraft in USA were identified to the species level and an additional 12% were identified to species group.

A: Yes. While 96% of all strikes with civil aircraft in USA involve birds, strikes with other animals such as deer, coyotes, turtles, skunks, bats (59 species), alligators, and iguanas have also been reported. White-tailed deer and coyotes are the most struck non-bird species, 1990–2025.

A: Mourning doves are the most common species of bird struck by civil aircraft in USA, accounting for about 11% of the birds identified to exact species, 1990–2025. Waterfowl (ducks and geese) account for only 4% of the strikes but are responsible for 23% of the strikes that cause damage to the aircraft.

A: Airports reduce the risk of wildlife strikes though integrated wildlife management programs. These programs include changes to the habitat at and in the vicinity of the airport and methods to disperse or remove the birds and other wildlife that pose a risk to aviation safety. For additional information please reference: FAA/USDA manual for managing wildlife hazards at airports (PDF)