Bird Hazard Map

The GeoIntegration Office at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, was tasked with producing a new Bird Hazard map with the goal of decreasing the risk of bird strikes. This map is used in the flight-planning room by pilots to increase their awareness of migratory bird routes and habitats while flying through these areas. The air force reports an average of 2,600 bird strikes per year with an annual cost of $38 million. In 1995, 22 American and two Canadian crewmembers from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, were killed after their E-3 AWACS aircraft struck a flock of migrating geese.

This map is based on a hard-copy map from 1996 that depicted known migratory and breeding concentration areas for waterfowl, raptor, and shorebirds across Alaska. Major and minor migration routes and breeding areas were shown along with data pertaining to bird concentrations at different times of the year. Current military training routes, military operations areas, and restricted airspace were added to the original Bird Hazard map. As new data becomes available, the Bird Hazard map will be updated so that pilots will have the most current information possible.