In this episode, our guest Evie explore with us the fascinating ways birds respond to drones in their environment.

From territorial behaviours in the air to potential interactions on the ground, we dive into the science behind birds reactions to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Join us as we discuss the potential impacts of drones on birds lifestyle, how drones can be used in better ways to respect wildlife's needs, and the resources and best practices that are available for pilots to learn and adapt their workflow from.

Website & Apps resources:

Birdlife Australia https://birdlife.org.au/

Ebird https://ebird.org/home

Civil Aviation Safety Authority

https://www.casa.gov.au/operations-safety-and-travel/safety-management-systems/sector-safety-risk-profiles/controlled-aerodromes-sector-safety-risk-profile/issue-wildlife#Whatcanaerodromeoperatorsandairlinescando?

Australian Aviation wildlife hazard group https://aawhg.org/

AAWHG recommended practises page https://aawhg.org/resources/

Wildlife Risk assessment analysis https://aawhg.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/rp-1.3-wildlife-risk-assessment-and-analysis-final.pdf

Articles about birds and drone usage that are worth a read.

- Lyons, Mitchell & Brandis, Kate & Callaghan, Corey & McCann, Justin & Mills, Charlotte & Ryall, Sharon & Kingsford, Richard. (2017). Bird interactions with drones, from individuals to large colonies. 10.1101/109926.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345754945_Bird_interactions_with_drones_from_individuals_to_large_colonies

- Wilson, J. P., Amano, T., & Fuller, R. A. (2023). Drone-induced flight initiation distances for shorebirds in mixed-species flocks. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60, 1816–1827. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14467

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14467

- Brisson-Curadeau, É., Lacombe, R., Gousy-Leblanc, M., Poirier, V., Jackson, L., Petalas, C., Miranda, E., Eby, A., Baak, J., Léandri-Breton, D.-J., Choy, E., Legros, J., Tranze-Drabinia, E. and Elliott, K.H. (2024), A meta-analysis of the impact of drones on birds. Front Ecol Environ e2809. https://doi.org/10.1002/fee.2809

https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2809

- Antonio Cantu de LeijaORCID, Rostam E. Mirzadi, Jessica M. Randall, Maxwell D. PortmannORCID, Erin J. Mueller, Dale E. Gawlik(2023) A meta-analysis of disturbance caused by drones on nesting birds. https://doi.org/10.5751/JFO-00259-940203

https://journal.afonet.org/vol94/iss2/art3/