It was the cabbies, silly. New York Post:
Bird-brained cabbies are illegally feeding geese, gulls and pigeons at Kennedy Airport, boosting the risk of flocks flying into the paths of jets.
And other than posting signs that are routinely ignored, the Port Authority does little to enforce its rules against bird-feeding, taxi drivers said.
“This happens all the time,” said a PA taxi-dispatch supervisor who did not give his name. “Sometimes, guys eat their lunch and just toss out the bag in the lot between taxi cabs.”
“Some guys who don’t eat their roll or bread just feed it all to the birds,” said driver Cliff Adler. “Giant seagulls, pigeons and geese swoop down.
“I have been telling people for years, but a lot of them just laugh in my face.”
Banning airport bird feeding is critical to preventing bird strikes like the one that caused US Airways Flight 1549 to ditch in the Hudson River on Jan. 15 after taking off from La Guardia Airport, wildlife experts say.
I knew Gotham had giant rats. Unfortunately, the Post in its accompanying photo fails to capture on film the legendary giant seagull. In fact, they didn’t get any geese, either. The only bird to be pictured enjoying the cabbie buffet is the common pigeon.