Australian Transport Safety Bureau records 1600 wildlife killed by planes in 2012

MORE than 1600 animals including galahs, bats, kangaroos, rabbits and a bull, were killed in aircraft incidents in Australia last year.

Sixty-two galahs were among the 1600-plus fatalities recorded in aircraft incidents in Australia last year.

BATS, rabbits, kangaroos and an increasing number of birds are being killed as a result of higher air traffic volume around the country.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released 2012 statistics showing more than 1600 wildlife strikes involving aircraft occurred that year.

Bats and plovers were high on the hit list, but there were also frequent incidents involving bats, galahs, hawks and flying foxes.

"The number of bird strikes has doubled over the last decade, driven by the large increase in aircraft movements," the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said.

Plovers were most commonly struck, with 48 incidents recorded, including cases of the birds being "ingested" by aircraft engines.

In one case, a light aircraft struck more than 10 galahs while coming in to land at a regional airstrip.

On April 30, 2012, a passenger jet leaving Brisbane Airport had to return after hitting an ibis.

Outside the reporting period, in September 2013, a small passenger aircraft hit multiple seagulls while landing at Flinders Island.

While most incidents involved birds, there were many instances of animal collisions involving kangaroos, rabbits, hares and foxes.

In September, 2012, a small passenger plane struck a kangaroo while landing at Coonabarabran airport in northern NSW.

And a bull was killed near Rockhampton in March this year when it was hit by a sightseeing aircraft, which hit a bird and speared off a runway and into a paddock.

In September, a gyrocopter hit a wallaby during takeoff in Townsville, sending the aircraft into a nearby fence and causing significant damage.

The ATSB believes wildlife strikes are under-reported and is encouraging aircraft operators to forward details of any incidents.

WILDLIFE HIT BY AIRCRAFT, by species

Plover - 65 separate incidents

Bat - 53

Galah - 62

Kite - 27

Kestrel - 41

Hawk - 35

Black Kite - 23

Swallow - 23

Nankeen kestrel - 36

Flying fox - 21

Magpie - 38

(In about half of reported bird strikes, the species was not identified.)