Japan's govt. designates Baikal teal most dangerous cause of bird strikes
The Baikal teal is a migratory bird that breeds in Russia and migrates to the Korean Peninsula, China and Japan during winter.
Feathers and blood of the bird were found in the two engines of the Jeju Air passenger flight, indicating that bird strikes played a role in the crash. One hundred-79 passengers and crew died when the jet landed on its belly and went up in flames at Muan International Airport in the country's southwest.
A two-week survey that Japan's Environment Ministry conducts every January shows more than sixfold growth in sightings of the bird across Japan. The number grew from about 20,000 in fiscal 2020 to over 140,000 in fiscal 2024.
NHK has learned from the ministry that a government committee on bird strikes in March designated the Baikal teal as a problem species requiring attention.
The ministry then notified the nation's 107 airports and heliports about the bird and asked them to take precautions.
The ministry's notice says the Baikal teal forms extremely large flocks and that multiple birds could collide with a single airplane at the same time. It also says the Baikal teal is relatively heavy among the duck family and highly likely to damage aircraft in collisions.
It alerts three domestic airports including Narita International Airport against bird strikes by the species because of recent sightings of large flocks over a nearby lake, marsh or bay.
It also urges airport controllers and pilots to watch out for flocks of Baikal teals, saying they are relatively easy to spot because they look like black clouds.
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Japan's govt. designates Baikal teal most dangerous cause of bird strikes
Japan's government has designated a bird that caused a fatal airplane crash in South Korea in December as one of the most dangerous causes of collisions known as bird strikes. The Baikal teal is a migratory bird that breeds in Russia and migrates to the Korean Peninsula, China and Japan during winter. Feathers and blood of the bird were found in the two engines of the Jeju Air passenger flight, indicating that bird strikes played a role in the crash. One hundred-79 passengers and crew died when the jet landed on its belly and went up in flames at Muan International Airport in the country's southwest. A two-week survey that Japan's Environment Ministry conducts every January shows more than sixfold growth in sightings of the bird across Japan. The number grew from about 20,000 in fiscal 2020 to over 140,000 in fiscal 2024. NHK has learned from the ministry that a government committee on bird strikes in March designated the Baikal teal as a problem species requiring attention. The ministry then notified the nation's 107 airports and heliports about the bird and asked them to take precautions. The ministry's notice says the Baikal teal forms extremely large flocks and that multiple birds could collide with a single airplane at the same time. It also says the Baikal teal is relatively heavy among the duck family and highly likely to damage aircraft in collisions. It alerts three domestic airports including Narita International Airport against bird strikes by the species because of recent sightings of large flocks over a nearby lake, marsh or bay. It also urges airport controllers and pilots to watch out for flocks of Baikal teals, saying they are relatively easy to spot because they look like black clouds.
