This morning, Tampa International Airport is working to save wildlife and keep people safe. An environmental group will remove a hawk’s nest Wednesday morning.
One problem with the red-tailed hawk’s nest is where it is located. It is at the top of the glide slope, a big antenna that helps pilots land.
An environmental group is removing the nest and moving the egg to a sanctuary.
A concern with the nest is potential bird strikes. Spring into summer is the time we see more bird strikes.
At Tampa International Airport, over the last 15 years, there have been 571 bird strikes. The airport proactively tries to keep wildlife away.
“We discourage birds around the runways, it's dangerous for the planes, it's dangerous for the birds, it's dangerous for passengers, so anytime we see birds out here we do certain things to scare them off, usually we use cracker shells and noise to scare them off,” Emily Nipps with TIA said.
Another concern with the removal is the mother hawk who is probably guarding the nest. But Nipps said moving the nest is the best way to protect everyone involved.
The environmental team is expected to start the removal at 10 a.m.
