Canines trained to clear air for planes at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware
 Staff photo /Linda Laird Above Master Sgt. Dan Wood, a 436th wing safety officer, has been training Shadow to clear birds from the air space at Dover Air Force Base as part of the Bird Avoidance Strike Hazard team. |
By Michele Shock Staff writer
DOVER - The newest employees at Dover Air Force Base are working like dogs.
Shadow and Monty are 4½-year-old border collies who are trained to chase birds from airfields.
Bird strikes are a common problem at Air Force installations and airports around the world.
"Over the past two years Dover Air Force Base has had $1.2 million in damages to C-5 planes," Master Sgt. Dan Wood said.
Master Sgt. Wood said birds in flight are frequently sucked into the engines of airborne planes, causing damage to the aircraft.
The base sits in a migratory flyway and three wildlife refuges, which draw thousands of birds to the area, are nearby.
According to base personnel, 85 percent of the incidents occur when planes are taking off or landing, making it necessary to keep birds clear of the base.
That's why Shadow and Monty have been enlisted to chase birds from the base and keep them away.
The dogs are trained by Dr. Nicholas B. Carter, executive director of Border Collie Rescue, a nonprofit organization that has contracted with the Air Force to help manage wildlife.
"These dogs are workaholics and they are obsessive-compulsive," Dr. Carter said.
 Staff photo /Linda Laird Above Dr. Nicholas Carter, executive director of Border Collie Rescue, uses whistle signals to direct the dogs as they work in the field. |
"They can work 12 to 14 hours, whereas most other dogs would have stopped sooner because they get bored or tired."
Shadow and Monty have been very successful since they started working at the base.
"So far this year we have had no damage," Master Sgt. Wood said.
"Dr. Carter and the dogs have been able to push the birds back 2 1/2 to 3 miles."
To demonstrate the dogs' success, Master Sgt. Wood showed a recent photo of a field adjacent to the base covered with birds.
When Shadow and Monty showed off their talents Thursday, the field was empty.
"There is really no one cure to get rid of the birds," Master Sgt. Wood said. "We have done research and have tried various techniques such as pyrotechnics and falcons.
"But the border collies have been able to do so, and they have worked a lot faster."
Shadow and Monty are trained to respond to a shepherd's whistle and verbal commands.
According to Dr. Carter, the dogs are usually trained in two ways - free thinking and directional.
"The free-thinking dogs search on their own," he said. "They are given generalized directions and go from bird to bird.
"The directional-trained dog is more like a remote control, they won't move until told a command. You can put the dog where you want it to go."
According to Dr. Carter, it takes about a year to train the dogs. The nature of the problem at the airport dictates the kind of training they receive.
Shadow and Monty have been able to chase sea gulls, ducks, Canada geese, snow geese and blackbirds from the base.
Whenever base personnel notice a flock of birds in the area, the dogs are put to work. Usually, within minutes the birds are chased away.
"The wildlife get tired of being disturbed and eventually get the hint to move their feeding and nesting locations elsewhere," Dr. Carter said.
Michele Shock can be reached at 741-8225 or