Collision between an aircraft and one or more birds in flight, which happens mostly at low altitude during take-off, initial climb and approach.
What it is
Bird strikes are among the most frequent occurrences in aviation, and in the vast majority of cases they cause no damage or leave nothing more than a mark on the nose or a leading edge. Most happen near airports and below about 1,000 metres, where birds are concentrated. A bird ingested by an engine can cause vibration or a loss of thrust, and crews usually return as a precaution.
Aviation defends itself on several fronts. Engines are certified by firing birds into the fan while it is running: after ingesting medium-sized birds they must keep producing thrust, and after a large bird of up to about 3.6 kg, depending on engine size, they may shut down, but without uncontrolled fire or dangerous debris escaping the engine. Windscreens must withstand, without penetration, the impact of a bird of about 1.8 kg at high speed.
On the ground, airports manage wildlife by removing what attracts birds, such as standing water or food waste, keeping grass at a height birds find unappealing, and using falconry, acoustic deterrents or dedicated bird radar. Strikes are reported, and ICAO gathers the data in a worldwide database that helps measure the risk.
Related terms
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This page was last updated on October 9, 2026
APA
Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Bird strike. Retrieved October 16, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/bird-strike
MLA
“Bird strike.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/bird-strike. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.
Chicago
Vuelopedia. “Bird strike.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/bird-strike.
Harvard
Vuelopedia (2026) Bird strike. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/bird-strike (Accessed: 16 October 2026).
BibTeX
@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_bird_strike,
author = {{Vuelopedia}},
title = {{Bird strike}},
publisher = {Fundación Poderia},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-09},
url = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/bird-strike},
howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/bird-strike}},
urldate = {2026-10-16},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-16}
}Wikipedia
{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/bird-strike |title=Bird strike |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-16 |language=en}}