Poison idea for airport birds

Press, 16 January 1986, Page 2

Poison idea for airport birds

Nelson reporter A poison, Thiadam, could be the answer to the bird problem at Christchurch Airport. The poison does not harm birds but kills the worms and grass grubs they feed on, say Nelson Airport authorities, who were plagued for several years by huge flocks of oystercatchers. The birds at first made the airport perimeter their summer feeding ground, but gradually moved closer to the runway where they became a menace as they rose in the path of aircraft taking off. All manner of methods were used to drive them back toward the perimeters. At first shotguns fired at regular intervals caused the birds to move away but as they became accustomed to the noise, they treated it with disdain and went on eating. Last year, the Nelson and Invercargill airports were selected for trials of the poison.

“Get rid of the food and the birds will go” was the theory and it has proved correct.

The Nelson Airport superintendent, Mr David Moore, said yesterday that the oy-ster-catcher population had diminished remarkably. In wet weather a few still gathered at the airport but the large flocks had disappeared.