Tiny Japanese Firm Makes High-Frequency Bird Repeller, Catches Eye of Aviation Industry

By Satoshi Sugawara / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:31 JST, July 26, 2025

KOFU — A small auto parts manufacturer in Yamanashi Prefecture, a landlocked region with no airports, has developed a bird repelling device that has drawn significant interest from the aviation industry.

The device made by T.M. Works, a company with just 10 employees, is meant to keep birds away from runways and aircraft and prevent bird strikes at airports. It has been successfully tested at nine airports in Japan, where it was found to be effective at preventing birds from colliding with planes. Several of these airports have since adopted the device for widespread use.

When a bird is sucked into a plane engine, it can lead to a loss of power and potentially a major accident. “We would be delighted if [the device] could play even a small part in saving lives,” the company said.

The device emits high-frequency sounds that birds dislike. When installed around runways, it is effective within a range of about 200 meters, according to the company.

At Tottori Airport, 1,568 crows were observed around the runway in fiscal 2023. After the device was introduced in fiscal 2024, that number dropped to 1,270, down by about 20%.

“I never imagined we’d be able to enter the aviation industry,” said President Hideaki Todoroki, 60.

A pivotal moment for the firm arrived in 2018, with the launch of their deer repelling device.

Near Mt. Fuji at the time, cars were often colliding with deer. When an acquaintance asked for help, the company developed a device for emitting sounds at frequencies unpleasant for the animals. Soon, orders poured in from the railway industry, which was also struggling with the issue of deer collisions.

Thinking their invention might also be good for deterring other animals, the company fine-tuned the frequency and installed a device at a neighborhood trash collection area plagued by crows. It was an immediate success, putting an abrupt stop to the trouble caused by crows rummaging through the garbage.

News of the crow experiment and the firm’s other successes reached Setouchi, Okayama Prefecture. In 2021, when the device was installed at a nori seaweed farm, damage from ducks reportedly decreased by about 30% compared to previous years.

In the five years through 2023, domestic airports experienced an average of more than 1,300 bird strikes each year. The device’s reputation quickly circulated within the aviation industry through word of mouth.

In March 2023, Iwami Airport in Shimane Prefecture became the first in the nation to install the device. To date, nine airports, including Chubu Airport in Aichi Prefecture, have introduced it on a trial basis.

After the device was installed at Kansai Airport in March 2024, there was a reported decrease in both bird sightings and bird strikes, and the deterrent was adopted for widespread use in early June of this year.

“We are hopeful [the device] will help improve safety and cut down on flight delays,” said an official for the airport.

The device, called “Bird Sonic,” reportedly costs about ¥300,000.

“We want to explore possibilities for where the device can be used,” said Todoroki. One promising area is poultry farming, where the invention could help prevent bird flu infections by keeping wild birds away from chicken coops.