DNA barcoding for identification of species involved in wildlife strikes at Brazilian airports

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of DNA barcoding for identifying species involved in wildlife–aircraft collisions that could not be morphologically identified. Samples were collected at 42 Brazilian civil airports and analyzed in 3 public laboratories using Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequencing. Between 3 April 2023 and 20 February 2026, we analyzed 520 DNA samples, of which 370 (71%) were successfully identified to the species or genus level—encompassing 4 animal classes, 24 orders, and 80 species. Birds accounted for 77% of identified collisions, while bats represented 20%. The most frequently identified species were the southern lapwing ( Vanellus chilensis ), the eared dove ( Zenaida auriculata ), and the velvety free‐tailed bat ( Molossus molossus ). Among the 80 distinct species identified, 17 bird species and 15 bat species had not been previously reported in Brazil's wildlife strike records. Rarefaction analysis showed a continuous increase in species richness without reaching an asymptote, indicating that additional sampling may reveal more species involved in wildlife strikes. We did not detect differences in species composition among biomes, although we found strong evidence of within‐biome variability. Temporally, strike frequency varied markedly by month but showed no consistent seasonal pattern. Species identification success was comparable to previous large‐scale studies (χ ² = 1.62, P  = 0.45; Cramér's V = 0.03), indicating no substantial methodological effect on identification rates. These findings demonstrate the operational effectiveness of DNA barcoding for wildlife strike identification and provide valuable data to enhance wildlife strike records in Brazil.