The Feather Identification Lab at the Smithsonian Institution has discovered DNA. Well … we’re going to be using it in our BASH efforts anyway!

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is joining the U.S. Air Force’s feather identification program at the Smithsonian Institution to identify species of birds that collide with aircraft by developing a new DNA database. Beginning in July 2003, the FAA is providing funding to the Feather Lab to build a database of DNA sequences of approximately 300 species of birds commonly involved in bird/aircraft collisions. Currently, only about 60% of the birds that are involved in bird strikes have been partially sequenced and are available on GenBank (a national database of DNA sequences) for comparison, and many of those do not contain the appropriate gene(s) or gene region(s) for bird strike analysis.

This five-year project represents an Interagency Agreement between FAA and USAF and aims to increase the accuracy and ability of the Feather Lab to identify those “hard-to-identify” bird remains included in paper towel swipes that do not contain downy (plumulaceous) barbs for microscopic examination. By joining forces, the USAF will allow the Feather Lab to conduct identifications on civil bird strikes, and the FAA will provide funding for the research and development of a DNA identification system that can be used by both agencies in cases that lack morphological evidence for museum comparisons. The DNA identification process should be fully functional in five years, but for the time being we are going to be busy developing protocols, extracting DNA from frozen tissues stored in the museum’s collection, and sequencing bird “snarge” (a Feather Lab term for the goop that is wiped from the airplane after a bird strike).

In 2002, nearly 2000 military bird strike cases were received for identification in the Feather Lab. This represents an increase from 1532 cases in 2001 and does not include the nearly 200 cases received annually from the FAA for civil bird strike identifications. The average number of bird strike cases identified per working day is approximately seven, but Spring and Fall migration are by far the busiest times of the year in the Feather Lab. The increased awareness of BASH programs and the ease of on-line reporting within the Air Force is no doubt responsible for the fact that a record 49% of the USAF bird strikes are now reported for positive identification.

Because the amount of time it takes to identify species of birds from fragmentary evidence can range from one hour to several days, we are in desperate need of some high-tech assistance. Additionally, Flight Safety personnel are becoming expert detectives when it comes to gathering bird strike evidence and are making it much more difficult to find feather barbs in the minute samples they scrape off the aircraft. These samples do, however, often contain bits and pieces of tissue or blood that may be useful in DNA testing. Fortunately, the Smithsonian has a cryogenically preserved tissue collection of birds from all over the world that will be used to establish the DNA database.

Old “Bird Dog,” New Tricks

We all know that the first step in preventing a wildlife problem on an airfield is to identify the culprit, and the USAF BASH programs are now very aware of the importance of collecting even the tiniest samples for identification. Lee Weigt, manager of the Smithsonian’s Laboratories of Analytical Biology (LAB) molecular program, will lead the DNA project, the major obstacles of which are overcoming the degraded state of the DNA in the samples being collected. The project will have a forensic approach and the database will initially focus on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) most likely to be recovered from degraded samples (”snarge”). We will establish the database for large portions of three gene regions of the mtDNA and design primers and probes to detect these in poor-quality tissue and fluid samples. Rapid isolation of the samples in the field will be paramount, and we’ll be testing several user-friendly field collection protocols from the beginning of the project to determine our highest probability of success. Identification via DNA sequencing is the “gold” standard, but we hope to develop cheaper and faster methods as a result of the database development.

“If It Ain’t Broke …”

Just because we are going high-tech does not mean that we are going to abandon the “old way” of doing things! Even though the feather identification process is complex, it’s still the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to determine what kind of bird was ingested into your engine or smacked up against your aircraft.

Once we get bird strike remains, there are several steps we take to make a positive final identification. First, we look over the USAF SAS (Safety Automated System) report for information such as date of strike, location, damage and remarks that can really be helpful in narrowing down the avian culprit.

Many times, the remains we get are in pretty rough shape–there is nothing quite as smelly as bird remains that have gone through an aircraft engine and then been subjected to the confines of the postal service. In these cases, washing the feathers in hot, soapy water is necessary to help restore the natural color, shape and texture. Sounds simple … but it works!

The unique expertise of our Feather Lab is that we have many years of experience peering through a microscope trying to figure out what microscopic features of the plumulaceous (downy) region of the feather sets one species apart from another. Using the feather microstructure can be an important step in the ID process if the material does not contain any obvious whole feather characters for specimen comparisons. We prepare microslices from unknown feather samples and compare the microscopic structures to “known” reference slides of feathers made from museum specimens. While these microstructures alone cannot tell us the exact species, they can tell us what “group” of birds we are dealing with (i.e., duck, shorebird, passerine).

Once we have gone through these initial steps, we usually have an idea of what type of bird we are dealing with. It’s at this point that we boldly go into the museum collection of over 620,000 bird specimens to search for a match to the unknown feather sample. Having access to such a large collection allows for specific, accurate comparisons. Whether we need a Wilson’s Warbler from California in September, or a Pin-tailed Sandgrouse from Iran … chances are it’s in the collection. We also feel that this direct comparison to “known” specimens increases the accuracy of the IDs by not relying on memory or experience alone. The final identification call is made after considering all of the information and clues gained from this process and the information provided by you on the AF SAS report.

When you consider the condition of much of the material we receive, in addition to the variation in bird plumages, identifying feathers from bird strikes can be a daunting task. Our goal of adding the new molecular identification techniques is to continue to build our traditional old morphological ID methods and (ultimately) make this task as efficient and accurate as possible.

2002 Feather Lab Statistics

In 2002, feather samples were received from 328 different USAF airfields and a total of 255 different species were identified from bases all over the world. Many new species were added to the list last year as a result of increased flying at overseas bases. This underscores the importance of having a large research collection that is worldwide in scope for these new identifications. The top reporting USAF bases for 2002 included: Little Rock (86 cases), McConnell (66), Altus (59), Columbus (57) and Travis (57). Considering that even the smallest bird can cause damage to an aircraft, it is important to keep track of all bird strikes. (See Chart 1.)

Identifications based only on microscopic analysis reached the highest recorded number in 2002 at 487 cases. The majority of these identifications were confirmed to ordinal level only (170 Passeriformes), but many were identified to at least the family level (i.e., swallow, thrush). The DNA technology that we are developing with the FAA will hopefully assist us in refining these types of identifications. The increase in microscopic identifications is attributed to the new technique of wiping the bird strike off the aircraft with a wet paper towel (see collecting methods at http:// afsafety.af.mil/AFSC/Bash/wild.html).

Reporting: Part Of The Greater Good Big Picture

Proper species identifications help provide base-line data needed to properly implement habitat management plans on airfields, warn aircrews of bird strike dangers and assist engineers in designing safer engines and windscreens. Some of the other important reasons for accurate species identifications and continued reporting include answering questions regarding strike hazards at individual airfields; the development and enhancement of the BAM (Bird Avoidance Model); permit hearings and construction of landfills; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service concerns of species protection; and obtaining depredation permits. In order to keep “muscle” in the bird strike database and help prevent damaging strikes, we need to work together to assure the continued accuracy and consistency of the bird strike data. You are the ultimate beneficiary, so please report all bird strikes via the USAF Safety Automated System (AF SAS) at http:/ /SAS.kirtland.af.mil. We will be supplementing all collecting methods once we have determined our protocols for the DNA-based molecular testing.

This new system will greatly enhance our identification efforts, and it will help to make the skies safer for all of us.

Average Cost of a
Common Bird Strike in 2002

Species             # Strikes     Total      Avg. $/
                   Identified    Damage      Strike

Mourning Dove         132        $500,000    $ 3,787
Horned Lark           112        $ 29,000    $  ,259
Red-tailed Hawk       24         $634,000    $26,416
Mallard Duck           9         $626,000    $69,500
Canada Goose           3         $258,000    $86,000

Chart 1

Feather Lab FAQs

1. What kind of feather material do I collect?

The more the better … if you have a whole bird, pluck feathers from the wing, tail, breast and back. DO NOT CUT FEATHERS. We need the fluffy barbules located at the base for microscopic analysis. Other helpful parts include: feet, beaks and bones.

2. What if there is no whole feather material?

We’ll take what we can get. If all you see is a smudge of blood, tissue, or small feather bits (”snarge”), wet the area and wipe it with a paper towel. Send us the towel and all. This type of material will be the main focus of the molecular ID techniques.

3. Do you only identity birds?

No, we have identified everything from frogs and turtles to bats. In fact, we have a bat identification expert in the division of mammals (Suzanne Peruach, USGS) who is working on microscopic identification of hair samples.

4. What is a passerine?

A passerine is a shortened name for birds that are in the order Passeriformes. Species in this order are commonly known as perching birds or song birds and include warblers, sparrows, finches and crows. Because the microscopic structures of these birds can be similar to each other, we often stop at the “passerine” level on these identifications.

5. Can I get West Nile Virus from collecting bird remains?

So far, there have been no reported cases of cross-infection of this virus from dead birds to humans, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility. We urge you to use common sense and minimize contact with bloody remains. If in doubt, wear latex gloves.

6. How do I package remains?

Place remains in a clean zip-lock bag, sealed paper envelope or anything that will keep the sample contained. DO NOT USE TAPE or Post-It notes. The sticky material traps the downy feather barbs. PLEASE PUT AF SAS N UMBER ON THE SAMPLE.

7. Do you ever want whole birds?

If you find an unusual or interesting bird in good condition on your airfield, please contact us … we may like to have it for our research collection. Recently, we received a Black Kite (see photo, page 7) from Pakistan that had been prepared with a spread wing to facilitate feather identification. Remember to freeze the bird as soon as possible and note the date and location that it was found.

8. Where do I send the material?

Due to delays following the anthrax scare of 2001, the Smithsonian has set up a Post Office Box address for items that should not be irradiated (such as feathers in plastic bags). We ask that you please send non-rush cases via regular post to:

Feather Lab

Smithsonian Institution

NHB E-610, MRC 116 PO Box 37012 Washington, DC 20013-7012

For overnight, express, or priority shipping please sent to:

Dr. Carla Dove

Smithsonian Institution

NHB E-610, MRC 116 10th & Constitution Ave., NW Washington, DC 20560

CARLA DOVE, MARCY HEACKER AND LEE WEIGHT

Division of Birds and Laboratories of Analytical Biology

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Carla Dove “Bird strike DNA“. Flying Safety.