Canada Geese in the Reno Area
I see flocks of Canada geese flying over the Truckee Meadows every day. The Nevada Department of Wildlife says somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 of these big birds live here year-round. During winter, more geese tend to move in and their migratory buddies stop by to feed on grass at the UNR farm, in parks, on high school football fields, and at golf courses. To keep the resident goose numbers under control, a roundup is conducted each spring, timed for when they are molting and can't fly. Captured birds are removed to wildlife areas in remote areas of eastern and southern Nevada.RNO Measures to Reduce Bird Strike Hazards
To help lessen the danger to flight operations, RNO has a contract with the USDA program for wildlife hazard mitigation at airports. They also work with the Nevada Department of Wildlife to help make the airport an unhospitable place for birds and other critters. In addition to controlling the population with the aforementioned goose roundup, attractive features such as expanses of grass are nowhere to be found near runways. Unlike many other airports, medians between runways at RNO are gravel, not grass. Vegetation on other areas around the airport is kept to a minimum - wild animals aren't prone to hang out around bare dirt. My conclusion is that the people running RNO are on top of the bird strike hazard situation.Sources: Reno Gazette-Journal, Federal Aviation Administration
