by HEATHER LYNCH

There are a few ruffled feathers over at Dorval International Airport, and not just in response to Air Canada's recent bankruptcy declaration. It's the local birds that are also up in a flap.

"Birds represent a major threat to planes in general, not so much because of their size but because of their kinetic energy," says Nicolas Casgrain, wildlife control officer of Dorval International Airport. "The danger [of a collision between plane and bird] can range from damage to the airframe to broken windshields and engines."

Various techniques have been tested in an attempt to control the presence of birds on and around airport grounds. None have proven as effective as the use of a hawk or falcon as a predator to frighten the birds away.

Which is where Carl Millier comes in. He's a hawk and falcon trainer who holds a degree in biology from McGill University. Millier's flock of birds of prey is kept at an aviary located adjacent to Dorval airport. His day starts at sunrise, when he and a chosen bird make a first patrol of the runways.

"I take one falcon with me and we drive down the runways, looking for birds," he says. "Then I'll fly the hawk or falcon anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, depending on the weather, training level and age of the bird. Sometimes the falcon may chase the birds away, but sometimes just the sight of a hawk or falcon is enough to scare other birds away. For the hawk or falcon, it's like a game. We bring them back [down to ground] with food."

Five to seven birds of prey are kept at the aviary at any given time. They've all been bred in captivity, acquired from breeders around the world. "All of the birds do at least one shift a day," Millier says. "We work from sunrise to sunset, patrolling the runways. There's a lot of work involved."

Using falconry as a method to control the bird hazard quotient is a costly enterprise. An untrained hawk or falcon comes with a $2,000 price tag, but once it has been trained, the price goes up to $8,000 to $10,000. Although the 15-year life span of a hawk or falcon makes the purchase of a predatory bird a sound investment, the cost of the trainer must also be factored into account.

A contract that runs from April to December costs an airport anywhere from $150,000 to $200,000. "Small airports just don't have the budgets to implement this type of a program," says Millier, adding that only a handful of airports besides Dorval, including Toronto's Pearson Airport, several Canadian and U.S. military bases and Halifax International Airport have adopted a falconry program.

Millier sees the program as both effective and crucial to the safety of the aviation industry. "There are collisions every year," he says. "Nothing significant has happened at Dorval, because we control it. There are about eight to 10 collisions with birds every year here, but they're small. We work on avoiding bigger collisions with birds like seagulls and geese. The fact that most birds travel in groups is also an issue. Even small birds can be the cause of accidents. If a small bird makes a dent in a plane in flight, the pilot may abort the flight and bring the aircraft back for inspection. They don't take any chances.

"The concept was only really developed in 1993," he says. "But it works because we use what nature has already provided."