Planes kill 2 snowy owls at Yellowknife Airport

Two snowy owls have been struck and killed by aircraft at the Yellowknife Airport within a week.

An Air Canada Express flight landing on the runway in the dark Friday collided with an owl. On Wednesday, another snowy owl was killed by a plane coming in for a landing at the airport. Both aircraft landed safely.

Steve Loutitt, regional manager of the Yellowknife Airport, said in the 24 years he's worked at the airport, a snowy owl has never been hit, let alone two.

"In the last week weve had two snowy owls struck by aircraft, which is highly unusual," he said. "Its not a bird that weve seen in the past getting struck by aircraft."

He said airport staff were told by the N.W.T. Department of Environment and Natural Resources that the owls are currently migrating through Yellowknife. ENR also said the birds mate for the season.

"It could very well be when the first one was hit, the second one was sticking around, looking for its mate, and had the same thing happen," Loutitt said.

The second dead snowy owl was turned over to ENR for examination.

Loutitt said the airport has increased patrols to scare birds away from the runways.

"The owls are moving around at night, so its quite a challenge to try and be out there and find the owls," he said.

"We are taking every effort if we do encounter them to scare them away from the airport. As a last resort, if it means ensuring the safety of aircraft, we will destroy birds if we have to."

Airport officials say so far this year there have been four bird strikes at the Yellowknife Airport.