Bat strikes in the Australian aviation industry

Abstract

Bat collisions are a threat to commercial and military aircraft in Australia. We examined bat strike records from Australia during 1996–2006 and found that risk of impact from bats is increasing, is greatest in tropical versus temperate regions, and is more likely during early evening and while an aircraft is landing rather than departing. Temporal patterns of bat strikes differ from those of birds, highlighting the need to employ taxon-specific management strategies to minimize animal impacts on the aviation industry. The use of genetics for identification of strike remains and the implementation of nocturnal survey techniques by wildlife managers at airports will contribute to the mitigation of bat strikes.