TIANJIN -- Birds, though often cute or graceful, can also pose a threat for flight safety.

To prevent flying aircraft from hitting birds, Tianjin Binhai International Airport on Friday established a laboratory for ecological analysis of birds, the first of its kind in China.

Workers with the lab will study the airport as an independent ecological system and conduct pre-warning, intervention and correlation studies on bird activity by analyzing the natural environment, including soil, water and plants, said He Bin, a bird control official with the airport's airside department.

It will also study the effectiveness of various bird dispersal methods for comprehensive bird control in the area, He said.

"By researching the food chain, which consists of grass, insects and birds, the lab aims to reduce bird activity near the airport so that birds and planes can share the sky in harmony," he said.

Bird strikes are a potential hazard for flights and can lead to scrapped engines and risk of crash.

Current bird dispersal methods include nest eradication, non-toxic bird control spray, visual methods such as pinwheels and flags, and sound-based methods such as sonar and gas guns to scare them away, according to He.

The airport in Tianjin, a port city in north China, is on the bird migration path between East Asia and Australia. Tens of millions of birds fly over the municipality each year, challenging flight safety at the airport.