During a drone delivery trial in March in Shiso, Hyogo Prefecture, a 3.6-kilogram device carrying a bento boxed lunch was surrounded by birds that appeared to be black kites. The pilot took evasive action to avoid a collision and the birds eventually dispersed, but other drones have not been so lucky.
With the use of drones to transport goods expected to increase in the future, especially in rural areas and on remote islands, reports of bird attacks have triggered calls for the government to raise drone pilots' awareness of the dangers involved.
