Spatiotemporal patterns of bird strikes at civil airports across China inferred from DNA barcoding (2012–2024)

Wildlife strikes, particularly bird strikes, pose a persistent threat to aviation safety worldwide. Although wildlife aircraft collisions in North America and Europe airports have been extensively studied, large-scale assessments remain scarce in rapidly developing regions such as China, despite its rapidly expanding aviation industry. Between 2012 and 2024, 13,732 wildlife strike remains were collected at civil airports in China, of which 12,327 samples (89.8%) were successfully identified by DNA barcoding and used for subsequent taxonomic and spatiotemporal analyses, including 10,261 birds, 2035 mammals, and 31 other animals. We identified 410 bird species (19 orders, 68 families), with strikes strongly dominated by a few high-risk migratory species, particularly the Barn Swallow, Eurasian Skylark, and Red-rumped Swallow. The number of strikes events and species richness increased over time, with significant seasonal and geographical variations. Autumn exhibited the highest strike frequency (3668 incidents, 320 species), whereas winter showed the lowest (467 incidents, 120 species). Spatially, East China recorded the greatest number of strikes and species, reflecting its position along major migratory flyways and the presence of key stopover habitats. Additionally, 2035 bat strike samples were detected, indicating that the role of bats in aviation hazards may be underestimated. Our findings demonstrate that wildlife strike risk in China is shaped by migration dynamics and regional biogeography, underscoring the importance of seasonally adaptive and region-specific management strategies that incorporate both birds and bats into airport wildlife hazard programs.