Birds

[Tlaw]

Hey Guys,

How many of you rock reflective tape to discourage birds?....Ive only had crows/ravens check me out a few times and usually a loud whistle sent them packing.

Just curious ...all feedback is welcome

 

[mavic3usa]

I just ignore birds.

 

[hank970]

My Air 3 camera has recorded two close encounters with swallows (species unknown), both at about 200 feet aloft, but no contact in either instance. Have there been other flybys that the camera didn't record? Red-tailed hawks, ravens, and vultures apparently couldn't care less.

 

[BlueHeeler]

The only bird that I have to avoid are those huge turkey vultures, they just glide slowly around in circles,
until they detect something dead below.

 

[AMann]

I have red and white reflective tape all over my drone for visibility- especially if it goes down as it would be easy to see with a spotlight. I also used it as part of my nighttime flight waiver back when FAA required one. But birds won’t leave it alone either before and after I put the tape on- the best bet is to avoid places where or when they are nesting, springtime and early summer especially.

 

[MS Coast]

Hey Guys,

How many of you rock reflective tape to discourage birds?....Ive only had crows/ravens check me out a few times and usually a loud whistle sent them packing.

Just curious ...all feedback is welcome

There's no evidence that reflective tape scares birds away. Only social media posts and rumor say it does. Bottles of water don't scare flies or dogs with full bladders, either.

There is an occasional problem with a bird actually striking drones, but most "attacks" aren't actual attacks and don't involve contact. Attacks by trees and powerlines vastly outnumber those by birds.

Birds are generally indifferent to drones or frightened away by them if they come too close. The various species of swallows and martins seem to be curious about drones and will often fly near them for quite a few minutes. I once had 8 or 10 circulating inside a 40 foot radius sphere around the Air 2S.

Of course, there's a need for common sense around bird nests, both for drone safety and the sake of the birds. Some species can be justifiably aggressive if you stray too close. Oystercatchers, mockingbirds, and terns are good examples.