The Hampton Roads area is located along the Atlantic Flyway, a major route for migrating birds and waterfowl. The shores along the Atlantic Ocean also serve as habitat for numerous species of gulls. Therefore, the bird population in the area around Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Naval Auxiliary Landing Field (NALF) Fentress, and Naval Station (NS) Norfolk Chambers Field is significant.

Airfield Personnel can make the habitat around the airfield less attractive to birds and animals by reducing food, vegetative cover and water. In addition, these personnel can use active control measures such as noisemakers or other scare devices to dissipate persistent problem birds. Pilots and air control personnel receive training on bird hazards and communicate warnings or potential problems to each other.

Outside the airfield, certain land uses that are particularly attractive to some species require community planning and possibly design modifications to reduce the hazard to aircraft. To reduce the hazards of bird and animal strikes, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA and the military recommend that land uses that attract birds be located at least 10,000 feet from the airfield.

These land uses include: waste disposal operations, wastewater treatment facilities, landfills, golf courses, wetlands, dredge disposal sites, seafood processing plants, and storm water ponds.