Blasted barnacles! Large flocks of geese causing headaches for Copenhagen’s air traffic controllers

Measure being taken to dissuade the birds from visiting the area and surrounding airspace

Increasing numbers of barnacle geese migrating through Denmark have become a problem at Copenhagen Airport. The geese are so large that they can damage or destroy a jet motor.

READ ALSO: Bird colonies thriving on Peberholm

Over the last 40 years, the numbers have gone up from around 200,000 to about half a million. The tendency is for the trend to continue, Professor Jesper Madsen, the head of the Institute for Bioscience at Aarhus University, told DR Nyheder.

“We expect that the numbers of barnacle geese will increase from 500,000 to 3 million over the next 10 years. This will obviously cause problems for air traffic,” said Madsen.

More food available
The numbers of geese have increased because there is a lot of food available both in Denmark and further south and in the summer reservations used by the geese in northern Russia.

The number of ‘bird strikes’ has increased significantly. Between 1997 and 2006 there were only three collisions between geese and aircraft around Copenhagen, but between 2007 and 2016, there were 16.

Canadian geese have been sighted by pilots at an altitude of 9,000 feet (just under 3,000 metres), but it is not believed barnacle geese tend to climb so high.

Guns or stomach ache?
The problem is so acute that a June meeting has been called with representatives from 22 countries to discuss how to solve the problem.

Copenhagen Airport already has some ideas regarding how to scare the geese away from the area. Hunters are on the watch around the clock with fireworks, shotguns and sirens.

As well as that, a special type of grass has been sown in areas around the airport that gives the geese stomach ache if they eat it, thus encouraging them not to land and then take off again.




  • The international who shaped Copenhagen

    The international who shaped Copenhagen

    Anna Maria Indrio is one of the most important architects in Denmark, having contributed to shaping Copenhagen into what it is today. Among her best-known projects are the extension of SMK and Arken, as well as the Natural History Museum and the Darwin Centre in London. She moved here 60 years ago, when “Copenhagen was gray and dormant. Predictions suggested it would become depopulated. But putting people at the center changed everything,” she said

  • Danish government passes amendment to increase citizenship fee by 50%

    Danish government passes amendment to increase citizenship fee by 50%

    Fees were raised to reflect processing costs and curb repeat applications, creating debate over whether the new charges erect barriers to political participation for internationals.

  • Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    According to a report by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, internationals’ contribution is 12% of the country’s GDP. In 2023, it was 322 billion DKK, and in 2008, it was 136 billion DKK. “Internationals make a gigantic difference in our prosperity and welfare,” comments Morten Langager, the Director of Dansk Erhverv.

  • Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    With half of its staff being international, the BioInnovation Institute reflects Denmark’s broader transformation into a global innovation hub. But can the country—and Europe—keep up the pace? “If reforms are made now, we can close the gap in ten years,” explains BII’s CEO

  • Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Two months ago, the Danish PM announced that military equipment should be purchased in a hurry. The first plans for the sea are now ready. Additional plans for warships will follow this summer.

  • International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    Many internationals come to Denmark to work as designers, but the field appears to be one of the hardest to break into. The Copenhagen Post spoke with two internationals struggling to find their way into the industry.

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.