The Federal Aviation Administration has opened its database about birds and other animals struck by planes -- a hot topic following the January landing in the Hudson River of a US Airways flight that tangled with a flock of geese. And guess what? Our own Denver International Airport has the most reported bird strikes of any facility this decade: 2,090.
What kind of creatures are losing battles with planes in Colorado most often? A search of the database returned 110 species involved in incidents since 1990. Granted, several variations on the category "Unknown Bird" pop up. But there are also plenty of specifics about horned larks, at least 366 of which have met an unfortunate end in the state during an eighteen-year span, as well as some non-flying creatures -- among them the only two badgers on the FAA list. The enormous numbers make it seem as if every DIA flight is cutting a swath through a nature preserve. Look out for the feathers.
Check out the roster after the jump.
From: JAN 1990 to NOV 2008Species: ALL
State: CO
Number of Species Returned: 110
Species -- State -- Strikes -- US Strikes
AMERICAN CROW -- CO -- 2 -- 248 AMERICAN KESTREL -- CO -- 25 -- 1,864 AMERICAN ROBIN -- CO -- 2 -- 375 AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN -- CO -- 1 -- 6 AMERICAN WIGEON -- CO -- 1 -- 29 BADGER -- CO -- 2 -- 2 BALTIMORE ORIOLE -- CO -- 1 -- 9 BARN OWL -- CO -- 3 -- 507 BARN SWALLOW -- CO -- 4 -- 934 BATS -- CO -- 6 -- 248 BLACK-BILLED MAGPIE -- CO -- 2 -- 8 BLACK-TAILED JACKRABBIT -- CO -- 6 -- 82 BLACKBIRDS -- CO -- 6 -- 1,070 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD -- CO -- 2 -- 80 BULLOCKS ORIOLE -- CO -- 1 -- 1 BURROWING OWL -- CO -- 11 -- 70 CANADA GOOSE -- CO -- 16 -- 1,184 CARDINALS,BUNTINGS,SPARROWS -- CO -- 6 -- 50 CHIMNEY SWIFT -- CO -- 1 -- 195 CHIPPING SPARROW -- CO -- 1 -- 15 CLIFF SWALLOW -- CO -- 66 -- 341 COMMON GRACKLE -- CO -- 1 -- 68 COMMON MERGANSER -- CO -- 1 -- 1 COMMON NIGHTHAWK -- CO -- 2 -- 190 COMMON POORWILL -- CO -- 2 -- 6 COYOTE -- CO -- 38 -- 283 CROWS -- CO -- 1 -- 218 DARK-EYED JUNCO -- CO -- 1 -- 26 DOMESTIC DOG -- CO -- 1 -- 29 DOVES -- CO -- 3 -- 833 DUCKS -- CO -- 10 -- 662 DUCKS, GEESE, SWANS -- CO -- 1 -- 140 DUNLIN -- CO -- 1 -- 18 EAGLES -- CO -- 1 -- 6 EASTERN COTTONTAIL -- CO -- 18 -- 43 EASTERN KINGBIRD -- CO -- 1 -- 11 EASTERN MEADOWLARK -- CO -- 2 -- 579 EUROPEAN STARLING -- CO -- 21 -- 2,070 FALCONS -- CO -- 1 -- 37 FERRUGINOUS HAWK -- CO -- 4 -- 9 FINCHES -- CO -- 2 -- 52 FOXES -- CO -- 7 -- 64 FRANKLINS GULL -- CO -- 1 -- 40 GEESE -- CO -- 4 -- 306 GREAT BLUE HERON -- CO -- 2 -- 222 GREAT HORNED OWL -- CO -- 17 -- 94 GULLS CO -- 4 -- 5,386 GULLS,TERNS -- CO -- 1 -- 28 HAWKS -- CO -- 28 -- 974 HAWKS, EAGLES, VULTURES -- CO -- 2 -- 35 HORNED LARK -- CO -- 366 -- 1,204 HOUSE FINCH -- CO -- 1 -- 38 HOUSE SPARROW -- CO -- 3 -- 64 INCA DOVE -- CO -- 1 -- 16 KILLDEER -- CO -- 8 -- 1,579 LARK BUNTING -- CO -- 18 -- 24 LARK SPARROW -- CO -- 1 -- 9 LITTLE BROWN BAT -- CO -- 3 -- 15 LONG-BILLED CURLEW -- CO -- 2 -- 4 MALLARD -- CO -- 5 -- 491 MEADOWLARKS -- CO -- 1 -- 207 MOURNING DOVE -- CO -- 79 -- 3,113 MULE DEER -- CO -- 3 -- 37 NORTHERN HARRIER -- CO -- 5 -- 64 OWLS -- CO -- 6 -- 261 PERCHING BIRDS (y) -- CO -- 4 -- 317 PERCHING BIRDS (z) -- CO -- 2 -- 57 PEREGRINE FALCON -- CO -- 3 -- 139 PIGEONS -- CO -- 1 -- 31 PINE SISKIN -- CO -- 1 -- 3 PLOVERS, LAPWINGS -- CO -- 1 -- 12 PRAIRIE DOG -- CO -- 5 -- 20 PRAIRIE FALCON -- CO -- 2 -- 9 PRONGHORN -- CO -- 2 -- 7 RABBITS -- CO -- 17 -- 83 RED-TAILED HAWK -- CO -- 24 -- 1,026 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD -- CO -- 7 -- 112 RING-NECKED PHEASANT -- CO -- 1 -- 57 ROCK PIGEON -- CO -- 67 -- 1,622 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK -- CO -- 1 -- 34 RUDDY DUCK -- CO -- 1 -- 15 SAGE SPARROW -- CO -- 1 -- 3 SANDERLING -- CO -- 1 -- 15 SANDHILL CRANE -- CO -- 2 -- 79 SAVANNAH SPARROW -- CO -- 1 -- 133 SCOPS, SCREECH OWLS -- CO -- 1 -- 1 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK -- CO -- 1 -- 15 SHORT-EARED OWL -- CO -- 6 -- 183 SPARROWS -- CO -- 88 -- 2,145 SPRAGUES PIPIT -- CO -- 1 -- 1 SWAINSONS HAWK -- CO -- 10 -- 55 SWALLOWS -- CO -- 10 -- 560 THRASHERS,MOCKINGBIRDS, CATBIRDS -- CO -- 1 -- 10 THRUSHES -- CO -- 1 -- 61 TREE SWALLOW -- CO -- 1 -- 177 TYRANT FLYCATCHERS -- CO -- 1 -- 9 UNKNOWN BIRD -- CO -- 1,004 -- 24,036 UNKNOWN BIRD, LARGE -- CO -- 36 -- 1,880 UNKNOWN BIRD, MEDIUM -- CO -- 96 -- 6,477 UNKNOWN BIRD, SMALL -- CO -- 716 -- 17,808 UNKNOWN BIRD OR BAT -- CO -- 89 -- 4,082 UPLAND SANDPIPER -- CO -- 2 -- 113 WESTERN KINGBIRD -- CO -- 5 -- 57 WESTERN MEADOWLARK -- CO -- 74 -- 314 WHITE-TAILED DEER -- CO -- 1 -- 737 WHITE-TAILED JACKRABBIT -- CO -- 6 -- 18 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW -- CO -- 1 -- 27 WHITE-THROATED SWIFT -- CO -- 1 -- 15 YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD -- CO -- 1 -- 6 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER -- CO -- 1 -- 31
