Birds at Altitude

What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop past your plane?

The other day I was flying at 5000' MSL, over land that was mostly about
1000' (so 4000' AGL) and saw a flock of birds, hawks of some sort I think,
one of which came close enough to make me quite nervous (although from the
way he was flapping I think he was much more nervous than I was).

I don't think I've ever seen birds above 3000' MSL / 2500' AGL or so before
and I was pretty surprised...

Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?

Judah wrote:

What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop past your plane

I was once returning to my home airport at 4,000 feet msl when ATC called
"traffic ahead, primary target only, slow moving, probably migratory
birds."

We spotted the birds, a flock of Canada geese at what appeared to be 5,500
feet or so. This was in central NY state, USA.

--
Peter

Judah wrote:
What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop past your plane?

The other day I was flying at 5000' MSL, over land that was mostly about
1000' (so 4000' AGL) and saw a flock of birds, hawks of some sort I think,
one of which came close enough to make me quite nervous (although from the
way he was flapping I think he was much more nervous than I was).

I don't think I've ever seen birds above 3000' MSL / 2500' AGL or so before
and I was pretty surprised...

Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?


I just flew past an eagle at 12,400 msl yesterday, This was about 5700
agl AGL. I see and watch for them up there all the time. The migration
for flocks of birds are starting this month too but they usually cruise
southbound at 9000 msl or so.

Ben
Jackson Hole Wy

wrote:
Judah wrote:
What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop past your plane?

The other day I was flying at 5000' MSL, over land that was mostly about
1000' (so 4000' AGL) and saw a flock of birds, hawks of some sort I think,
one of which came close enough to make me quite nervous (although from the
way he was flapping I think he was much more nervous than I was).

I don't think I've ever seen birds above 3000' MSL / 2500' AGL or so before
and I was pretty surprised...

Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?


I just flew past an eagle at 12,400 msl yesterday, This was about 5700
agl AGL. I see and watch for them up there all the time. The migration
for flocks of birds are starting this month too but they usually cruise
southbound at 9000 msl or so.

http://www.fws.gov/blackwater/Canadagoose.htm
"Geese have been observed at altitudes of 29,000 feet"

The highest a bird has ever been spotted is about 38,000 msl.

You may find this web-site interesting: http://www.usahas.com/



Andrey


Judah wrote:
What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop past your plane?

The other day I was flying at 5000' MSL, over land that was mostly about
1000' (so 4000' AGL) and saw a flock of birds, hawks of some sort I think,
one of which came close enough to make me quite nervous (although from the
way he was flapping I think he was much more nervous than I was).

I don't think I've ever seen birds above 3000' MSL / 2500' AGL or so before
and I was pretty surprised...

Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?

Judah wrote:


Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?

I hit a turkey buzzard at 4500 feet once. That was probably over
3000 AGL.

What has always impressed me is how high you find insects. I've
smacked into nice juicy bugs at like 6000'

Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?

Go see "Winged Migration"... two hours of nothing but birds flying, from
a bird's eye view. They go pretty high.

Jose
--
There are more ways to skin a cat than there are cats.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

Judah wrote:
What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop past your plane?

The other day I was flying at 5000' MSL, over land that was mostly about
1000' (so 4000' AGL) and saw a flock of birds, hawks of some sort I think,
one of which came close enough to make me quite nervous (although from the
way he was flapping I think he was much more nervous than I was).

I don't think I've ever seen birds above 3000' MSL / 2500' AGL or so before
and I was pretty surprised...

Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?
over 10,000 (about 3000 AGL) feet Climbing out of Cody, WY headed to
Yellowstone.

Michelle P

I am clearly no expert on bird physiology, but what the heck is a bird
breathing at 38,000msl????

Possibly a small canister on its back with a little 'birdie-canula' strapped
to its beak?
"Andrey Serbinenko" wrote in message
...
The highest a bird has ever been spotted is about 38,000 msl.

You may find this web-site interesting: http://www.usahas.com/



Andrey


Judah wrote:
What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop past your
plane?

The other day I was flying at 5000' MSL, over land that was mostly about
1000' (so 4000' AGL) and saw a flock of birds, hawks of some sort I
think,
one of which came close enough to make me quite nervous (although from
the
way he was flapping I think he was much more nervous than I was).

I don't think I've ever seen birds above 3000' MSL / 2500' AGL or so
before
and I was pretty surprised...

Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky until now?

I remember a P210 in the shop for a replacement windshield.
The pilot reported hitting an eagle at 14,000 over western
Kansas. There was a lot of damage to the airframe, luckily
the strike was on the top of the cowling on the right side
and the big bird missed the pilot. It also left about 1/3
of the windshield in front of the pilot.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

"Judah" wrote in message
. ..
| What's the highest altitude that you ever saw a bird swoop
past your plane?
|
| The other day I was flying at 5000' MSL, over land that
was mostly about
| 1000' (so 4000' AGL) and saw a flock of birds, hawks of
some sort I think,
| one of which came close enough to make me quite nervous
(although from the
| way he was flapping I think he was much more nervous than
I was).
|
| I don't think I've ever seen birds above 3000' MSL / 2500'
AGL or so before
| and I was pretty surprised...
|
| Do birds typically stay low, or have I just been lucky
until now?