New York’s LaGuardia and Kennedy Airports in the US have trapped and killed 800 Canada geese in an effort to overcome the risk of bird strikes to aircraft.

The operation was designed to prevent incidents such as the one earlier this year which saw a passenger plane make an emergency landing in the River Hudson after a bird struck its engine.

US Airways Flight 1549, which took off from LaGuardia Airport, ran into geese and lost both engines forcing the flight to land in the River Hudson with 155 people onboard.