Bird Strike Risk in India
Bird strikes are a significant and growing aviation safety hazard in India. Confirmed incidents tracked by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation rose from 775 in 2021 to a record 1,782 in 2025, with the five-year cumulative total reaching 6,337 strikes across licensed Indian airports.[^c1] Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded the highest number of any Indian airport with 695 bird hits between 2020 and mid-2025, followed by Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad. No fatalities from wildlife strikes were reported over the five-year period.[^c5]
India's aviation infrastructure expansion — from 80 airports in 2015 to 163 by October 2025 — has outpaced regulatory capacity, with nearly half of DGCA sanctioned posts vacant.[^c2] The regulatory framework centres on Rule 91 of the Aircraft Rules 1937, which prohibits bird-attracting activities within 10 kilometres of aerodromes, enforced through Wildlife Hazard Management Plans at all licensed airports. The first National Wildlife Hazard Management Committee met in 2025, and the DGCA conducts annual monsoon preparedness inspections with fresh directives issued in June 2026 on wildlife hazard management, airside surveillance, and runway condition assessment.[^c7] Airfield Environment Management Committees coordinate multi-agency responses at the local level, exemplified by the July 2026 Srinagar Airport meeting that reviewed bird hazard, stray dogs, solid waste, and infrastructure issues.[^c8]
The ecological drivers of bird strike risk are tied to waste management and urban ecology. The [[ecology/black-kite|black kite]] is the most hazardous species, accounting for 62% of damaging strikes,[^c4] while the rock pigeon, house crow, common myna, and red-wattled lapwing are also high-risk species under the Bird Hazard Value methodology.[^c3] India lies along the [[ecology/central-asian-flyway|Central Asian Flyway]], a major migratory corridor, and wetland sites such as Chilika Lake near the proposed Puri airport pose additional bird strike concerns.[^c10]
Despite rising national totals, several airports have demonstrated that coordinated mitigation can produce significant reductions. Ahmedabad's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport recorded 15 bird strikes in the first half of 2026, down from 70 across all of 2025, through sustained pre-monsoon habitat management.[^c6] Indian airports employ a diverse range of deterrent technologies — from acoustic systems, pyrotechnics, and biomimetic falcon drones to habitat modification using plant growth regulators and insect control — alongside novel interventions such as the Delhi Forest Department's annual "Chicken Shield" programme distributing 1,275 kg of boneless chicken to divert [[ecology/black-kite|black kites]] from Republic Day air show flight paths.[^c9] However, dedicated bird detection radar has not been deployed at any Indian civil airport or IAF base as of 2026, despite multiple procurement attempts.