BTS Wildlife Control Celebrates 40 Years

01. 04. 2025 – On April 1, 2025, on International Bird Day, M. R. Štefánik Airport commemorates the 40th anniversary of its wildlife control —falconers who prevent bird strikes by scaring birds away, mainly using falcons, but also dogs, recorded sounds, and blank shots.

Wildlife Control was introduced at Bratislava Airport on April 1, 1985.

The role of Wildlife Control staff is to minimize bird strikes and ensure flight safety. Birds near the airport are scared away by four employees of the "BOL" unit using 12 falconry birds of prey, hunting dogs, hunting rifles, a blank-firing pistol, alarm and warning animal sounds (played from car-mounted speakers), or by driving vehicles into flocks of birds.

The most common bird species found around the airport include gulls, rooks, pigeons, and starlings, while other wildlife such as hares, cats, and even foxes or deer are also present.

To further reduce the risk of bird strikes, biological protection and airport safety staff take preventive measures, such as monitoring bird nesting in the area, inspecting fences, tracking agricultural activity near the airport, and capturing animals using traps—especially the European ground squirrel. Bratislava Airport is home to Slovakia’s largest colony of this species, with over 10,000 individuals.

The highest number of bird strikes occurs in summer, particularly in August and September. As daylight hours increase, birds remain active for longer periods, raising the risk of aircraft collisions.

Last year, Bratislava Airport recorded 28,000 aircraft departures and landings, with only 10 incidents involving bird strikes.