Bird strike

High school (ages 12+)
Environment & Earth

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bird-strike

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name (general)?Aves (for birds), Chiroptera (for bats)
2. What is the lifespan (example: canada goose)?10-24 years in the wild
3. Why do birds sometimes hit airplanes?Birds can hit airplanes because they fly at the same heights that planes travel, especially during takeoff and landing. Some species, like geese and vultures, are bigger and fly in groups, making them more likely to collide.
4. How much damage can a small bird cause to a plane?Even a small bird that weighs about a kilogram can hit a fast plane with the force of several tons. This can damage the wing edges, control parts, or even the engines.

Kinetic Energy: The energy an object possesses due to its motion, increasing with mass and velocity.
Ingestion Hazard: The risk posed by foreign objects, such as birds, being drawn into and damaging aircraft engines.
Towerkill: Bird mortality resulting from collisions with man-made structures like communication towers and wind turbines.