Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Management Of Bayberry In Relation To Tree-Swallow Strikes At John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, Glen E. Bernhardt, Zachary J. Paton, Lisa A. Kutschbach-Brohl, Richard A. Dolbeer

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) have been a periodic bird-strike problem at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFKIA), New York, New York, causing runway closures, flight delays, and damage to aircraft following the ingestion of bird flocks into engines. We examined 65 tree swallows collected at JFKIA in October 2001 to determine food sources that were attracting the birds to the airport. Digestive tracts of all 65 specimens contained northern bayberry fruits (Myrica pensylvanica), averaging 15.6 fruits per bird or 3.4% of the bird’s body mass in specimens where the entire tract was dissected. Bayberry fruits are …