Birds and drones, scientific study

Randolph_Kricke · Oct 18, 2016

Jayfdee said:
I usually fly very slowly 7-10 mph, and 70-80 ft altitude. I am interested in filming hence the slow speed and low altitude.

Thanks for that precise information

So speed (and altitude) seem to play an important role

Mark The Droner · Oct 18, 2016

I often see a hawk (I assume it's a hawk) swooping by me at high speed, but's always on the turn around. In other words, he doesn't come directly at me as I approach. Instead I may not see him, or I may see him fly way below from left to right. But then later on the turn around, I'll see him approach me at high speed and swoosh by me pretty close as I'm coming back retracing my path. It seems obvious that he was following me, and when I turn around he swooshes past me. And that's it. I won't see him again.

Ed_2020 · Oct 18, 2016

Here is a Phantom (not mine) captured by eagles:

Randolph_Kricke · Oct 18, 2016

Ed_2020 said:
Here is a Phantom (not mine) captured by eagles:

Thanks, yes I have seen that before, very impressive. I guess it's a Golden or Imperial Eagle. They don't fear a drone [emoji15]

WetDog · Oct 18, 2016

I've had them fly close enough to get a good pic. I have also seen an eagle demolish an RC copter. A post above talks about ravens - I have seen them run away from a drone but would not at all put it past them to attack one.

Nesting birds are a whole different animal.

It's going to very quite a bit on conditions, locations and seasons.

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Mark The Droner · Oct 21, 2016

UFO Sighting From My Phantom?

Randolph_Kricke · Oct 21, 2016

Mark The Droner said:
UFO Sighting From My Phantom?

This was obviously not a bird [emoji6] but I don't know either what that might be, very strange

Mark The Droner · Oct 21, 2016

Oh.

I thought you'd read the latter part of the thread...

The Springs · Oct 22, 2016

I'm not sure how to post a link from phantompilots to a post on my iPad but if you search the tittle "No go drone zone" I posted some footage taken from my phone I was wondering how they would react to a P3 amongst them..

apprentice · Oct 22, 2016

I had a near collision with a duck this spring. I was already landing and the speed was already very low. As the drone was about 10 meters away from me a duck suddenly came from the back and right of the drone. It would nearly collide with the drone. It happened really fast. It immediately reduced speed with its wings like it would land on a water and then it flew away over my drone. Really had no idea what was with that duck. It was like flying blind.

Then when I was flying in Venice, Italy I had some close encounters with seagulls. But they didn't attack. I guess they were just curious. But it's quite frightening when you see on your iPad that something just flew very close in front of your drone.

I think it was this June that me and a friend of mine were testing some new features of the drone. I gave the controller to my friend and was just commanding him what to do. Then I noticed two huge birds circling far away from us. I had no idea what they were. They weren't eagles I guess but they were something similar. So I asked the friend with controller to fly closer to those birds. But as soon as we approached the birds moved away.

Randolph_Kricke · Oct 22, 2016

apprentice said:
I had a near collision with a duck this spring. I was already landing and the speed was already very low. As the drone was about 10 meters away from me a duck suddenly came from the back and right of the drone. It would nearly collide with the drone. It happened really fast. It immediately reduced speed with its wings like it would land on a water and then it flew away over my drone. Really had no idea what was with that duck. It was like flying blind.

Then when I was flying in Venice, Italy I had some close encounters with seagulls. But they didn't attack. I guess they were just curious. But it's quite frightening when you see on your iPad that something just flew very close in front of your drone.

I think it was this June that me and a friend of mine were testing some new features of the drone. I gave the controller to my friend and was just commanding him what to do. Then I noticed two huge birds circling far away from us. I had no idea what they were. They weren't eagles I guess but they were something similar. So I asked the friend with controller to fly closer to those birds. But as soon as we approached the birds moved away.

Thanks a lot for your detailed information [emoji4]

Randolph_Kricke · Oct 22, 2016

Mark The Droner said:
Oh.

I thought you'd read the latter part of the thread...

Sorry, it's a long thread... Anyway, quite mysterious... [emoji32]

Randolph_Kricke · Oct 22, 2016

The Springs said:
I'm not sure how to post a link from phantompilots to a post on my iPad but if you search the tittle "No go drone zone" I posted some footage taken from my phone I was wondering how they would react to a P3 amongst them..

Thank you very much, in this thread there are interesting observations [emoji5]️

The Springs · Oct 22, 2016

Search the post tittle "What the....." as well
I caught some Superb Parrots rocketing past .

David Cooke · Oct 22, 2016

I live on the Great Lakes and agree ... geese will avoid and scatter on the sound alone. Gulls will avoid too but don't seem to show any fear or curiosity. They will fly by and look but never hang around to investigate. They just leave

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peter west nz · Oct 22, 2016

If I need to find the drone visually when flying over the water, I only need to look for seagulls doing hard turns around my p3a [ I live on the coast]. Some of them come pretty close. Full frame of a seagull is pretty close. None of the other birds seem bothered.

brothers · Oct 22, 2016

Some thoughts: Regarding the gentleman on the west coast having problems with ravens, I'm on the east coast, haven't flown my P4 much (yet), but I often hear crows (related to ravens) squawking loudly. It's always a flock of crows hassling a hawk. Dunno the evolutionary imperative that led to this behavior, but it's quite possible that it has transferred to behavior toward drones.

The Springs · Oct 23, 2016

We have a farm in AustraliaI see them (crows) in large flocks of 100 and up to 300 some times .They are one of most intelegent birds around although I have no time for them .They will pick the eyes and tongues out of sheep if they are stuck on their sides while lambing .They are a very suspicious bird and alway post a few lookouts making them impossible to shoot.
I would be surprised if they come anywhere near a P3
We have a pair of very large Wedge tail eagals nesting on our place .They are the ones to watch out for ,very territorial and very aggressive .

The Springs · Oct 23, 2016

Not me ! But interesting
Eagles not eagals ,typing without glasses.

Drower · Oct 23, 2016

I was using my p3s and litchi app to do a bird servey of our local lagoon. I set the speed slow and at one stage hovered over a swans nest at 10m with no adverse affect on the swan. In fact it continued to maintain its nest while the p3 was above it. I found take off and landing caused the most disruption although this could mainly be due to my presence. I now take off behind some trees and this has made a big difference.
Another thing i notice is most birds around the lagoon are fine with the drone unless you come at them from vertical. I assume this is because of the way birds of prey attack.

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