New York City’s high-tech solution to beach safety—a fleet of shark-spotting drones—is facing an unexpected challenge: angry shorebirds fighting to protect their turf. 🌊 Since May, American oystercatchers and federally endangered piping plovers have repeatedly dive-bombed the drones, turning beach patrols into a real-life ‘Angry Birds’ game. 🎮
City agencies, including emergency management and police departments, have adjusted drone flight paths to avoid nesting areas after wildlife experts raised alarms. 🚨 ‘We’ve got two angry parents protecting their eggs,’ said Natalie Grybauskas of NYC Emergency Management, noting officials now juggle disaster prep with bird biology 101.
While no birds have been harmed, the drones—equipped with life rafts for swimmers—have yet to make a rescue. Their first shark sighting on Thursday closed most of Rockaway Beach, a hotspot for both sunbathers and sand-colored plovers. 🦈🏖️
Wildlife advocates warn the clash highlights growing tensions between tech-driven safety measures and fragile ecosystems. Can NYC strike a balance? For now, drones fly farther from nests… but the birds aren’t backing down. 💥
