Air Force takes a peculiar approach to keep birds away during Republic Day flypast

Sources associated with the exercise, in the IAF and the Forest Department, said it would be similar to the effort made last year. While they would not disclose locations from where meat is being tossed or the duration for which the exercise is being undertaken, an official said it must be done for a while so the birds are accustomed to being fed in the area, which means that it is already underway.

Last year, the exercise was taken up at 10 locations and had begun ahead of the event. The official said it was found to be effective, with birds descending in a few minutes, and added that the tossing of meat attracts their attention, while also maintaining distance from the bird that then swoops down to grab it, rather than laying the meat on the ground and waiting for the bird to descend.

The IAF in an official response said the Republic Day flypast takes place over an area that is not a regular airfield, and therefore, specific anti-bird measures are put in place whenever the event is planned. “Over the past years, black kites have multiplied due to the absence of natural predators and easy availability of food in urban areas. Data collected since 2012 over Kartavya Path shows a 150% increase in the population of black kites in the critical area of the air display. In January 2022, a temporary relocation of black kites was attempted. However, the birds did not relocate and the old pattern of activity in urban areas continued as before,” the IAF said.

In 2022, the first time an intervention was made to deal with black kites, 10 birds were captured ahead of the flypast and released on the evening of Republic Day, a source who was associated with the exercise said. In the exercise in 2022 and 2023, experts from the Wildlife Institute of India were involved.

“Bird strike incidents on fighter aircraft can result in minor damage to possibly catastrophic outcomes. While safety protocol and pilot training assist in mitigating risks, the potential damage and associated consequences underscore bird strike as a significant concern for aviation safety worldwide. Constant improvisations and untiring vigil, coupled with dynamic actions have ensured that the flypasts take place as planned,” the IAF added in its response.

“If it happens well, in association with the community, using how quickly kites respond to meat tossing activity can help reduce the potentiality of some kites reaching the flight path in places where aircraft may descend to a low level for the event,” said a source associated with the efforts.

On attempts made over the past few years to avoid bird strikes during the flypast, the IAF included “liaison with the MCD to ensure feeding of birds at various bird feeding points is not undertaken during January”; requesting the National Zoological Park to change feeding timings for migratory birds at the zoo to afternoon hours so that birds congregate in the area when the parade and flypast are over; publicity through radio broadcasts for awareness on garbage disposal; and checking of authorised slaughterhouses by authorities concerned for compliance with solid waste disposal rules.

To mitigate bird strikes, the IAF also deploys bird watchers along the fly-past route that passes through the NCR.

Delhi has a high density of raptors, research shows. There are two subspecies of black kites in the Capital — the Small Indian kite which is a resident subspecies, and the Black-eared kite, a migratory sub-species that arrives in winter. It is native to, among other places, parts of Central Asia.

Nadeem Shehzad at Wildlife Rescue, an NGO that rescues raptors and birds of prey, among other birds in the city, pointed to the steady supply of food as a reason for the large population of black kites in Delhi. “Garbage is available in plenty in Delhi for scavengers, allowing them to thrive not just on waste, but also on rats near the garbage heaps. The city’s landfills offer food to them, including animal remains that may be dumped at these landfills,” he said.

“Animal parts or organs that are not consumed are fed to these birds, and since slaughter is done in the early hours, that is the time that this meat is also available in the market. This is also an easy source of food for these birds which catch the pieces that are flung in the air. It’s about feeding the hungry – an Islamic belief is that the best deed is to feed the hungry, human or animal,” Nadeem said, adding that the birds are fed in several parts of the city, including in open spaces like the Ramlila Maidan.

An article published in 2014 in the journal ‘Bird Study’ by scientists including Qamar Qureshi and YV Jhala at the Wildlife Institute of India noted that in 2013, the average density of black kites’ nests in the city was found to be 15 nests per square kilometre, and the density of these birds in Delhi “may represent the highest concentration of a raptor recorded in the world and has not declined since the 1960s.”

It added: “Density has been stable since 1960–1970s and probably represents the highest ever recorded for a raptor. This is probably promoted by a combination of (i) availability of rubbish, (ii) few predators and (iii) high tolerance by people.”