Can Birds Take Down a Drone?

Drones aren’t the only things on planet earth that can fly. There are also nature-made drones that are here and there, and we call them with the name of birds. There are many case scenarios in which it is seen that the birds collided with the drone.

It is the worse day for the pilot of the drone if his drone gets seen by the predator birds because they don’t care how much money you have paid for that drone.

The predator birds can cause severe damage to your drone, and to escape from the birds’ eyesight, you will have to do an emergency landing of your drone.

Other regular birds, like crows and pigeons, do nothing to your drone, and you can fly it near them. The small birds will get scared by the drone’s noise and fly away.

But sometimes your drone might get collided with the drone accidentally. In this scenario, your drone can get damaged, or the Bird can get a severe injury.

So in this article, we will discuss a very important topic: can birds take down a drone? Well, if you are going to fly your drone in a place with so many birds and some predator birds, then this article can save your drone and you.

Can birds take down a drone?

The birds with the more size than the drone and are predators can take down a drone if they get angry or realize that the drone is a threat to them. They can also attack the drone by thinking it is their prey.

Sometimes any bird can collide with your drone and crash, and the Bird will also get killed or injured.

So if you want to know more about the birds and drone relationships or you want to know more explanation about your question: can birds take down a drone, then stick with the article. Keep reading.

Can Birds Take Down a Drone and Crash it?

Birds have been flying in this world for many centuries. It is not wrong to say that when the world was created, the birds were also created. So the birds know more about flying and techniques to take down their prey and other things.

Many people have shared their stories about the birds taking their drones with them.

Last week, I read an article in which the writer told me that he was flying his drone in an open area, and then he thought to fly the drone at a higher height to know more about his drone. Suddenly, a big predator bird started coming towards the drone and attacked it.

The drone was the DJI Phantom 4, so it didn’t grab the drone. It just hit it and broke its propellers. Suddenly, because of the broken propellers, the drone fell and got damaged and crashed into a tree.

With his good luck, he could get his drone back, but in the worst cases, the birds think that they have got their prey and take it to their nests to eat.

So it is concluded that the birds can take down the drone and crash it by breaking its propellers. After the Bird’s attack, you will get only the broken plastic pieces of the drone, or if there is a good plastic body of your drone, you can also have it, which will be useless.

Because of the gravity, the drone will fall so hard that it will be broken if, by any chance, the Bird doesn’t break the drone’s body. Sometimes when birds take the drone with them, the chances of getting it back are about o.1% out of a hundred.

The weight of a drone like a Phantom is no match for big birds like eagles. They will grab it with them easily.

And on the other hand, if you have a small drone like the Mavic series or the DJI mini-series, then forget about your drone if it gets attacked by the eagles because it will take it with it without any weight-lifting issues.

I have also found a few YouTube videos showing that birds can attack drones. Before going elsewhere, let’s know something more about whether birds can take down a drone.

Is it Possible in any Way that Birds can Take Down a Drone?

Yes, it is possible that the birds can attack your drone and take it down. Nature is amazing and always full of awesomeness. If you take your drone to the area where there are nests of the birds, then to save their houses/nests, they will give the response.

In this way, to keep their territory safe and their houses, chicks and eggs safe, they think that your drone is another predator bird trying to harm them in any way, so for that reason, any bird can attack the drone and can take it down.

Even in some cases, they can grab the drone with them and through it in a place where you can’t find it.

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There are few videos on youtube and other platforms in which the birds are attacking the drones. If you have a big drone whose propellers are very sharp, it can also kill the Bird.

These days people are also training special birds like eagles and hawks to attack drones and not let anyone fly the drone in the no-fly zone area.

If you want the proof, then you can watch this video:

As you can see, the person has trained the eagle to attack the drone and take it down. The thing is, as the person has trained the eagle, but in the areas where there are birds’ nests, birds will attack the drone without any training.

So this video proves that birds can attack drones, especially the birds that are bigger in size and area predators.

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Why Do Birds Take Down Drones? – Why Do They Do That?

An amazing example is if someone comes into your house boundary or even comes into your room without your permission, your reaction to that unknown person would be like the eagle or Bird attacking the drone. The birds have their territory, just like a lion.

If any unknown animal comes into an animal’s territory and is threatened, it will surely attack and try to kill it. In the same way, the birds, when a flying gadget enters their territory, respond in the shape of attacking the drone.

If we talk about other aircraft, then airplanes fly at a much higher altitude and at that height, birds don’t fly. They only fly at almost 400ft, and our drones also fly at this much height.

When they find a small propelled gadget flying near them, the birds get shocked and think that another bird is flying, which is very awkward in shape.

Do not fly your drone near the nest of any bird. It will attack the drone no matter how the size of the drone. It is also possible that the birds that are small in size can attack the drone in a group form. As you might know, eagles sometimes attack pigeons and kill them to eat them.

Most of the time, the color of the drones is white, so the other predator birds think that there is prey that is flying near them, so they attack it and take it down. The last reason that might be possible is that the drone hovers in the air and stay at a certain place.

When a drone gets stable in the air and does not hover up or down, birds think that a certain bird is aiming to attack them. It also makes them attack first at the drone.

How drones are Danger for Birds?

It is not always possible to get the Bird free from the drone. So while the attack, sometimes bird feathers get cut because of the fast-moving propellers of the drone. It is also possible that while the attack, the propellers can make so much injury to the Bird.

Sometimes, when the drone pilot flies in a group of flying birds, some birds might accidentally collide with the drone and die.

When the birds are breeding and resting in their nests, flying the drone near them will scare them, and they will fly away by leaving their eggs or chicks. It can be very bad because, for that reason, the birds might leave the nest forever. Birds that are small in size do this.

I recommend you not disturb the birds in the area, especially in their nests, because your drone piloting can make some birds leave their houses because of your drone’s noise and threats.

When you fly the drone in the flock, and the birds go somewhere, it can confuse some baby birds and get cut off the flock.

It would be like disrupting the birds from migrating. There is another thing that can happen because of your drone. When you fly a drone near a small bird, and it doesn’t react, that Bird is so scared and not in the condition to give you the reaction.

This scariness makes them so much unproductive and makes them stressed, and their heartbeat rate increases. In this condition, a baby bird can also die, which will not be good. And in mature small birds, it will affect their feeding, mating and migratory habits will be so much interrupted.

How to Save Your Drone from Birds?

So in this many problems of birds, a question might have come to your mind: how should you prevent your drone from birds’ attack? You first need to know everything about the environment in which you will fly your drone.

If you do not let yourself know where you are flying your drone, then an eagle can attack your drone from nowhere.

If you see birds around you and also thinking about flying your drone, please keep your drone on the ground. If you are flying a drone and the birds attack your drone, then do not make noises or else activities. Just press the home return button so that your drone can get escaped.

But if you are flying an FPV drone, then for you, it will be challenging to return your drone manually.

So this is why you should refrain from flying your drone in areas where some birds are flying or have their nests. If you want to prevent your drone from a bird attack, do not fly it near the nests.

Because in the nests, sometimes the birds are mating, feeding, and nesting; if you fly near it, the birds will surely attack your drone. It also tells that you see the nests first when flying your drone in an area with some trees around you.

The government also helps you not fly your drone in specific areas.

Most of the birds live in the parks where the government has also banned drones from flying, and it is also a good thing because a drone is a threat to birds and flying it near birds is also a threat for you to lose so many expensive drones.

If you are in an area where birds live, and you also need the drone video footage of that area, then you can fly your drone in the morning. Most birds do not fly at this time because the weather is very cold, so they weigh for it to get warm.

A very good accessory for you that can save your drone and the Bird’s life is the “propellers guards.” If you use the propeller guards, then the Bird will be safe while the attack because you will be secure and can easily land the drone. Also, your drone will get a little damage.

Keep your drone as much away as you can from the birds. The birds migrating can change their path because of your drone, so keep it away from them or fly it at a lower altitude.

There is also another problem, and that is the noise of the drone. Use a drone that is quite than the others. In this way, when you fly the drone at a lower altitude and there is also no noise the drone, saving your drone from bird attack is possible.

What to Do if a Particular Bird Attacked on Your Drone?

After keeping all these points in mind, if you fly your drone and a particular bird still starts chasing your drone or is attacking, making a circle, this can be the worst thing because the Bird is so stubborn and angry.

If the Bird attacks your drone, increase its speed and take it to a higher altitude.

All the birds do not attack while they fly upwards because they fly to the sky site for the rest; if, in this case, you try to land your drone, then let me tell you that you are allowing the Bird to attack more on your drone. You should also ascend the drone and take it to a higher altitude.

When the Bird starts still flying to your drone and is also following the drone and is as well going to a higher altitude, turn on your drone’s sport mode and do a little bit of hovering left to right while flying upwards.

By doing this, the Bird can feel the power of your drone and will also get tired and stop pursuing your drone.

You can escape your drone from a good predator bird like an eagle. If a small bird starts following your drone, then landing the drone will be the best option. But if an eagle is chasing your drone, then fly the drone at a higher altitude.

After the eagle gets tired, find a place and land your drone there.

Can Birds be Trained to Bring Down Drones?

Yes, birds can be trained to bring down drones, especially the eagles are trained. This is done because many people try to fly a drone in areas where it is not allowed to fly the drone. The owners of that places buy trained eagles to bring the unknown drone down.

It is also done by the hunters who hunt the other birds and the small animals like small-sized goats or rabbits. If, in the hunt, the hunters see an unknown drone following them, then with the drone’s help, they will catch the drone and destroy it.

To know more about this, you can watch the video I shared. Many countries also train eagles and hawks to take down a drone.

As you know, tech companies are making many technical gadgets that aren’t good for humans. So to stop the drone increase, the countries’ armies are training the birds.

It is not only the purpose of training the eagles; armies are also training the birds to take down the drones of the enemies. In this way, they will use less tech, and no one will know that the Bird can attack the drone. So it is a very beautiful way to destroy the spy drones of the enemies.

Do Birds Ever Try to Chase Drones?

Yes, it is possible that a stubborn and angry bird can start chasing the drones and will stop after knocking them down. When the big-sized birds start to chase the drone, then for the fully skilled drone pilot to save the drone becomes so much tough.

Because, as you know, the birds better know how to dive and move in the air. So it is the worst case in which the drone gets grabbed or destroyed by the Bird. It becomes very scary sometimes because the Bird does not stop chasing the drone.

In this case, the only technique that will be better for you is flying your drone to a higher altitude, as I have already mentioned that flying the drone to a higher altitude can save your drone. Refrain from landing your drone and make sure your drone is in sport mode in this case.

Important FAQs

Final Thoughts

It is the number one rule you should follow while flying your drone in an area with some trees or birds flying. If you do not check this first, then your drone will get the flight bit will land destroyed. The thing is, birds only attack your drone when they think that your drone is a big threat to them.

It is as much a problem for the birds as it is for you. So as a human being, it is not your good manner to disturb the life of the birds. Without worrying about your drone, think about the life of the birds as well. While flying the drone, ensure you are in the safe zone.

While flying the drone in the flock, make sure no bird hits the drone and aim your drone to the right side. Know everything about the area where you will fly your drone.

Do not fly your drone near the parks or the trees where there are nests of the bird families. If you need to fly at this place, then fly in the morning and use the propeller guards.

So this was today’s article; if you think this article has told you the right things about your question, let me know in the comments. If your question “Can birds take down a drone” is solved, give a tap on your shoulder because you have increased your knowledge.

If you still have some queries, let me know in the comments we will solve them together.

Have you EVER seen a bird attacking a drone in real life?

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