In May, drones started patrolling the New York beaches for sharks, struggling swimmers, and other potential problems when they began facing an obstacle they never imagined: The Shorebird
AP News’s Jake Offenhartz reports on the story:
Since the drones began flying in May, flocks of birds have repeatedly swarmed the devices, forcing the police department and other city agencies to adjust their flight plans. While the attacks have slowed, they have not stopped completely, fueling concern from wildlife experts about the impact on threatened species nesting along the coast.–
“They will fly at it, they’ll swoop at it, they’ll be vocalizing,” Welsh said. “They think they’re defending their chicks from a predator.”
Lucas Ropek writes, “While the drones have so far saved zero human lives, they have managed to seriously agitate the local bird population, which has been repeatedly seen “swarming” and dive-bombing the flying robots.
Open thread below…
