Outcry at airport bird cull

Paul R Taylor

April 28, 2009

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UNDER THREAT Rooks may be killed off near the airport

WILDLIFE campaigners are fighting plans by Manchester Airport bosses to kill a huge colony of birds at an historic site.

Scores of rooks on National Trust land near Dunham Massey are to be shot because they are deemed to be a risk to planes.

More than 180 people have signed a petition opposing the cull. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is also are fighting the move, saying it would have minimal impact on the number of bird strikes on aircraft. RSPB conservation officer Tony Coatsworth said: "I think it is a crazy idea.

"The effectiveness in terms of reducing the number of bird strikes would be minimal." Judith Smith, of the Greater Manchester Bird Recording Group, said: "It is absolutely dreadful."

Golf

The birds nest on National Trust-owned land near Dunham Massey golf club, which is three miles away from the airport. There are around 60 rookeries throughout Greater Manchester. The Dunham Massey rookery is one of the largeest. A plan to eliminate the birds, which number more than 70, at dawn on Thursday has been postponed while more talks are held with conservationists. The Civil Aviation Authority said there were 1,400 bird strikes at British airports last year but the majority did not cause significant damage.

'Risk'

An airport spokesperson said: "During a recent assessment it became clear that birds were travelling between the rookery and our airfield. To reduce the risk of an aircraft bird strike and maintain public safety we held discussions with the National Trust to decide on a solution. Plans were put in place to adjust the habitat of the rooks on Thursday, but instead we will be continuing talks with the local community as to how best to proceed with reducing the risk."

Distress

The airport drives birds away using a variety of methods including using hawks and playing distress calls. It also monitors a large number of bird nesting sites within an eight-mile radius. Theresa Graham, from Altrincham, said: "I walk my dog past the rookery every day. There must be another solution. The rooks have been there a long time and are very popular."

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P&L Account, Prestbury, Macclesfield (28/04/2009 at 09:03)

This is a difficult one, when the RSPB wanted to cull the "ruddy ducks" I quit RSPB, this planned cull has a purpose, this is to save human lives, but is it their fault to be there in the first place? The answer is no, humans created travel by plane, and deemed the rooks are in the way. I would prefer relocating them or scar them away. More expensive exercise, may be that is why they prefer the shotgun solution which is much cheaper. For that reason, I would say to the man who made that decision.." you are fired!!!"

Tony Coatsworth (28/04/2009 at 09:20)

Yes - this is disgraceful. I doubt very much that the Rooks at Dunham Massey would fly 3 miles to the airport to feed - there are plenty of fields nearer their nesting site.
CAA guidelines say the airport grass should be managed to discourage birds feeding there, and there are other non-lethal measures such as hawks and scarers. There are also hundreds of Jackdaws at Dunham Massey so do they intend to kill all of those as well ?
Rooks are an easy target as they sit defenceless on their nests and I think blasting away at a small number of them will not be of any benefit at all. Tony Coatsworth

Carol Farrell, Worcester (28/04/2009 at 09:30)

The rooks won't be very popular when they bring a plane down. What's wrong with people, pity the do gooders don't campaign for the battery hens when they are forced into cages the size of an A4 sheet of paper and spend their lives in misery.

AlexisV (28/04/2009 at 09:45)

Surely if bird strikes were such a problem, the population would dwindle away anyway.

The fact there are so many rooks must mean they don't fly into planes. Members of the crow family are pretty intelligent anyway - I doubt it's rooks that are diving into engines.

Bloody stupid.

Knowledge Poverty, a dark future (28/04/2009 at 09:53)

Oh for goodness sake.

They're rooks - crows. Common as muck. It's not like they're some rare seasonal visitor, or an endangered species.

The twitchers would dance a different tune if a 747 carrying their family back from the holiday of a lifetime crashed into the terminal building.

Kill 'em all. The rooks, not the twitchers.

neil sk6 (28/04/2009 at 10:05)

So 70 birds are worth more than a plane full of people then, don't forget that it was a bird strike in the USA recently that made a plane crash.

Elb Owdeep (28/04/2009 at 10:36)

Cull all birds!!!!

Brock, Hulme (28/04/2009 at 11:07)

How many millions of chickens are killed every day after living dismal lives in battery farms theirs hardly any outcry over that, but threaten a few common birds that would proberbly die in a much slower painful anyway and people get upset, nature is not nice, animals in the wild live short painful lives. If you want to get angry and upset save it for the poor battery chicken.

the monkey, bolton (28/04/2009 at 11:12)

Well !!!stone the crows!!!!

RT, UK (28/04/2009 at 11:19)

The supporters of no action keep mentioning minimal impact if the cull is not carried out.
It is an attempt to ensure that there is no impact however minimal that or the risk of
it is.

Millions of animals and birds are killed everyday to provide food and other goods. This
matter is within that cycle of human need.

Kris-Kross, Ashton Under Lyne (28/04/2009 at 11:22)

Mankind further rapes the land removing every living creature that stands in its path.

Mankind is evil and murderous!

The stinking kipper, pinned under the table (28/04/2009 at 11:26)

and Kris-Kross of Ashton Under Lyne, you have been a beneficiary of those actions so wind your neck in.

Chris R, Irlam (28/04/2009 at 11:28)

"Mankind is evil and murderous!"

Hands up if you are a Guardian reading self-hater! Give it a rest....

And kill them all before they bring an aircraft down, let's get our priorities right eh!

Brock, Hulme (28/04/2009 at 11:34)

The earth would be a much nicer place without humans, after all we are only homicidal monkeys, we are the only animal who kills for the sake of killing and not out of need. Hopefully mother nature will throw something up to get rid of us, maybe it already has...

Black Flag (28/04/2009 at 11:50)

Unless you eradicate every bird on the planet, then there will be birds flying near planes and there will be bird strikes. If you can’t handle that, don’t fly.

The girl next door , North west (28/04/2009 at 12:02)

Better to kill them humanely then for them to become liquidated in propeller’s of a plane

Kris-Kross, Ashton Under Lyne (28/04/2009 at 12:16)

Kill and humane is a contradiction in terms!

Too much destruction of the environment all over the world. I'd rather see more birds and fewer planes.

and NO....I do not read The Guardian newspaper!

Stu it Right, Manchester (28/04/2009 at 12:39)

Kill them all! As a frequent flyer I don't want to become victim to a bird hit. Anyone remember the plane in the hudson river not so long since? Somehow I think a Airbus A330 is not going to fit in the Mersey!!!!

There shouldn't even be "consultation" about this kind of thim. Just get on with killing them and move on.

PW, Manchester (28/04/2009 at 12:44)

Time to bring in the RSPB. As John Cleese said, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Birds.

nyb, ex manc (28/04/2009 at 12:51)

Can't walk round here anymore with all the "downed" aircraft from bird strikes.

Just another pathetic health and safety over reaction to something normal in the environment. Jeez this country makes me sick; and all the posters on here supporting it! Unbelievable; the posting community on MEN are normally a bit more discerning.

Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (28/04/2009 at 12:57)

Just who on earth do Manchester Airport bosses think they are, the Rooks didn't ask for the airport to be put there. Why do they think they can play God on what's allowed to live or die?

Now if we were talking about Hoodies and druggies, that would be different

Mad Welsh Scotsman, Cadishead (28/04/2009 at 13:04)

If you kill all the birds on Dunham Massey estate, another load will take over their places soon enough, followed by another load after they've been killed, Ad infinitum

Maynard Kitchener Lampwick, Manchester . , (28/04/2009 at 13:09)

These Birds could bring a plane down and kill hundreds of Passengers, kill them all off before a disaster strikes.

nyb, ex manc (28/04/2009 at 13:20)

Maynard Kitchener...there's more chance of a plane being brought down by terrorists. Lets exterminate all the rabbits, badgers, deer, dogs, cats, etc etc etbloodycetera, just in case they cause a lorry to swerve and crash. Lets reove all the rookeries in the country, because you can bet that once they kill the population of this one, it will be repopulated at some future date.

I have a better plan lets save some lives by rounding up all the feral kids, in case they attack and kill some poor innocent.

Billy Brag (28/04/2009 at 13:39)

I wonder if we can get the same people to cull the louts and scum from nearby towns as i'm sure they cause more trouble than a couple birds.
How many planes have we lost at Manchester airport though birds this year? Not that bigger problem is it!

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