Bird strikes at NorCal airports spike in January

Pilots report the number of bird strikes at three of Northern California's busiest airports appear to spike in January.

The latest statistics show SFO had 71 bird strikes in January of last year, San Jose had 72 and Sacramento had 34. Those numbers plummeted in February with just three bird strikes at SFO, three in San Jose and four in Sacramento.

Biologists point out Sacramento's airport sits in the middle of a major, wintertime flyway for migratory birds.

Northern California's latest bird strike took place on Saturday when a United Airlines flight bound for Houston returned to Sacramento airport after hitting a bird. The bird damaged one of the jet's two engines.

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