Wildlife biologist works to prevent bird strikes on the flightline Published June 12, 2013 By Staff Sgt. Maria Bowman 375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Driving out to one of the sites she checks, Erica McDonald, U.S. Department of Agriculture wildlife biologist, smiles broadly, sits up a little straighter and grabs her binoculars to look at the turkeys crossing the road about a quarter of a mile ahead of her. She exclaimed, "I love turkeys! Look there's another one!" McDonald has been working at Scott for two years to preserve wildlife, keep the aircraft and servicemembers safe and facilitate Scott's mission by evaluating and address the risks wildlife poses to aviation. "Birds create a conflict for the planes more often than we would like," she said. "Birds and planes have to share the sky and sometimes the birds get hit. Mammals are also a threat. They hang out on the runways and can cause serious damage to an aircraft when it's taking off and landing. Mammals can also delay a landing." Between 1990 and 2010, there were more than 121,000 known accidents in both the civilian and military sectors. Thomas Gray, Airfield Operations flight commander, said, "When you have more than 700 acres of airfield property right next to a wildlife habitat, there is always the potential for wildlife to be on the runway or in the vicinity of the airfield. Having a full time wildlife manager takes the stress off us and immediately increases flight safety by having eyes and ears on the airfield. McDonald can take action to move the wildlife or advise air traffic controllers about the observed problems and they can take immediate actions to avoid the problem and essentially save lives. She also has the ability to trap raptors and relocate them, eliminating the larger, more dangerous species of birds in the area." While 97.5 percent of all strikes involve birds, strikes with other animals such as deer, coyotes, turtles, skunks, and alligators have also caused problems to aircraft, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Other risks to the flying missions include beavers and the dams they build. McDonald said, "There are plenty of dams between the runways, which causes water to back up and creates habitats for other hazardous wildlife such as water fowl. It's a great habitat for wildlife." The airfield manager said McDonald has done a great job taking care of the wildlife and making sure aviation hazards are minimized. "I have never found a wildlife manager that didn't love the job, and she is no exception," Gray said. "She takes her job seriously and is extremely dedicated. She inspires confidence knowing she is doing the best job in trying to ensure flight safety. McDonald said she really enjoys working with animals and keeping them from interfering with flights, which prevents loss of life and aircraft. "I love being hands on and seeing wildlife up close," the biologist said. "I enjoy relocating these animals to safer locations. I started in this career because I love animals. What brought me into the animal damage management portion of wildlife biology would be the problem solving aspect. No two situations are exactly alike. Every air field has its own challenges. "Protecting Scott's assets--the people and aircraft--is not always easy to do, but that is the goal and that's what we work very hard to accomplish it."