Bird club: 'Kalapati,' not avian sanctuary, are real threat to Ninoy Aquino International Airport planes

Beware the pigeons.

Wild birds, including those that migrate long distances to roost in Metro Manila's only avian sanctuary, do not pose a danger to airplanes, said the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines at a press conference on Wednesday.

Instead, aviation authorities should be more worried about domesticated pigeons, or kalapati, raised as pets by many urban residents and frequently permitted to fly free.

Philippine Airlines president Ramon Ang recently denounced the presence of a bird sanctuary in coastal Parañaque, or a "Critical Habitat," a few kilometers from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. “That endangers the life of all passengers that go to Naia,” Ang said.

The national bird-watching club said that it holds the safety of airplane passengers "paramount," but added, "[T]here is not a shred of evidence that the Critical Habitat is in any way connected with any bird strikes in Metro Manila."

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