WING AND A SCARE

THE shrill cry of a starling rings out across runway two at Manchester Airport, followed by the hollower squawk of a rook.

- PAUL BRITTON

Dozens of species of wild birds, common and more rare, call the vast expanse of land surrounding the airport their home and regular playground, but those who don't need fuel to fly can cause a very real problem for planes and, ultimately, the passengers on board.

Bird strikes, which in cases can cause damage to planes or result in diversions, are a common occurrence across the world. The majority are said to happen when planes take off or land, or when they are flying at low altitude.

At Manchester Airport alone, there have been 97 reported bird strikes without major incident since March last year, although not all have been confirmed. The figure is a mix of confirmed, witnessed strikes, suspected strikes that couldn't be confirmed and carcasses found that could have been caused by strikes or other animals.

Away from the hustle and bustle of the terminals and car parks, there's a specialist airport team whose vital work goes unseen by the public - and unheard to all but the airport's feathered friends.

It's not a real starling or a real rook, but recordings of the species in distress being played out from speakers attached to the roof of a ranger truck to scare the birds from the runway. The airport is surrounded by woodland and the River Bollin runs underneath part of its second runway. Running adjacent to the far tips of the two runways are large drainage ponds all collectively creating a perfect haven for wildlife.

But there's a meticulous - and expert - bird control mitigation operation in force 24 hours a day to keep the runways clear for planes. Even the vast grass verges between the runways and at their sides is kept no lower than 300mm high, as birds don't like to perch or walk on tall grass.

Alex Britland joined the airport's airfield operations team four years ago and has developed keen eyes and ears.