How Toronto's Pearson airport uses falcons and drones to deter wildlife

Next time you're taking off or landing at Toronto's Pearson airport, if you're lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a falcon soaring nearby.

But these falcons aren't wild, they're part of a wildlife patrol team who serve as guardians for safety.

"Our team patrols the airfield every single day of the year to keep the airfield safe from wildlife hazards, but also to keep wildlife safe from human-made hazards," said Sulaiman Momla, a wildlife control officer at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

Bird strikes pose serious risks to aircraft, potentially causing damage or even catastrophic accidents. According to the Bird Strike Association of Canada, 50 bird strikes on average are reported worldwide every day.

The wildlife management team at Pearson plays a crucial role in mitigating these risks, ensuring the safety of passengers and crew, as well as wildlife.

They use 28 trained birds of prey to tap into the natural instincts of other animals and create a safe distance between them and the bustling airport runways.

The birds regularly fly through the airfield, utilizing a predator-prey relationship to deter wildlife from entering the airfield in an environmentally sustainable way, Momla said.

"That fear in response that prey species have to a predator is instinctual," Momla said.

However, Momla also noted that the goal isn't to eradicate wildlife from the airport, but to keep them away from danger.

"By deterring them, we're preserving them, they live longer," said Momla.

Falcon Environmental, the company behind this operation, tracks wildlife sightings and plant life, a major part of the ecosystem, in and around the airport. They use this information to make reports and suggest ways to keep the area safe for both planes and the ecosystem, according to Falcon Environmental's website.

"They are conditioned athletes at the end of the day," said Momla.

The team also utilizes a DJI Matrice 210 drone as well as other drones equipped with cameras to detect wildlife on the airfield.

"It's wildlife management. If you eradicate everything from the airport, it'll get replaced with something else. We're here to educate wildlife, to drive the point home that this isn't the safest place to be," Momla said.

Momla's passion for birds is clear in his work.

"I've been passionate about birds since I was a little kid. As soon as I was old enough to draw something, I was drawing birds," he said.

"I'm fortunate enough to have a job where I'm able to work with the birds but also to promote public safety at the same time."