Toronto Pearson International Airport (TPIA), Ontario, Canada

Wildlife management and control

FALCON patrol vehicle at Toronto Pearson airport with a trained Harris's hawk perched on the roof
A FALCON patrol vehicle at Toronto Pearson Airport with one of our trained Harris's hawk on the job

Since 1999, FALCON has been in charge of providing wildlife management for the busiest airport in Canada. To achieve this task, we respond to all related wildlife problems based on Section III of the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs).

During daily wildlife management activities at Toronto Pearson International Airport (TPIA), FALCON Wildlife Control Officers collect geolocalised data from all patrols, interventions and observations. We then prepare monthly and yearly wildlife control reports to the client. In the field, FALCON employs falconry, pyrotechnics, trapping, firearms and distress calls to manage wildlife. In addition to active management, our science team conducts regular wildlife and floral surveys, in some cases outside airport boundaries, to gain a more complete picture of food sources and wildlife behaviours. This in turn allows us to propose appropriate habitat management policies the lower the risks created by cohabitation. All our strategies are outlined and presented in the Airport Wildlife Management Plan and Risk Analysis, both based off of CARs articles 302.304 to 302.307.

Along with our regular activities,  FALCON also provides training related to wildlife management including those for civilian operation managers and for safety officers.

TPIA has five runways and an annual movement of over 400,000 aircraft. It has taken a proactive and environmentally friendly approach to dealing with various types of birds and mammals, both on and off the airport property. For this reason, the airport authority is contacted by various airports around the world on dealing with complex wildlife issues.

FALCON staff flying a trained falcon to scare birds away from the runway