Delhi will use 1,270 kg of boneless chciken this Republic Day to prevent bird strikes during Indian Air Force’s (IAF) aerial shows. The Delhi Forest Department, in coordination with the IAF, is deploying over 1,270 kg of boneless chicken across the city to prevent bird strikes. Bird strikes are considered a serious threat during air shows, especially when aircrafts fly at low altitudes. This exercise is meticulously designed to manage the movement of black kites (large raptors that are common in Delhi’s urban area), which pose a significant threat to low-flying fighter jets like the Rafale and Sukhoi-30MKI. Black kites are naturally drawn to reliable food sources and open spaces. Authorities have planned a continuous supply of high-quality meat from January 15 to January 26 at 20 designated locations away from the flight corridors, including high-risk zones such as the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, where black kite activity is typically high, ensuring the birds remain “adequately fed” and engaged at lower altitudes. This will prevent them from soaring high into the higher-altitude “kill zones”.
This meat tossing exercise is repeated daily over nearly two weeks to help birds adapt to the feeding pattern well before Republic Day. The practice of meat tossing isn’t new, it’s an annual tradition but, this year marks a significant shift in the exercise. For the first time, the department has shifted to boneless chicken from buffalo meat. Peak feeding is scheduled for the day of the full-dress rehearsal, which will be held on January 22.
