San Antonio, TX Animal Ordinances: Bird Protection (2026)

Section 3-39 sits in the airport rules of conduct chapter, adopted by Ord. No. 2015-04-09-0289, which governs both San Antonio International Airport and Stinson Municipal Airport. The rule bars feeding or sheltering wild animals or birds anywhere on airport property, addressing the collision and habituation risks wildlife pose to aircraft, and it requires everyone on airport grounds to properly dispose of unused or abandoned food and food containers so scraps do not draw wildlife toward runways and terminals. The only carve-outs are for animals actively being transported through the airport, such as a traveler's pet in transit, and for wildlife control or mitigation activities carried out by the aviation director's designee, meaning the airport's own bird-strike abatement staff, trapping, and hazing programs remain lawful.

A related provision, Sec. 3-38's neighbor section, separately makes it unlawful to touch or tamper with any trap or device the director's designee uses for wildlife mitigation. Sec. 3-169 gives the director authority to enforce all Chapter 3 airport rules, including Sec. 3-39, through aviation department staff, and treats every person on airport grounds, including passengers, spectators, vendors, and tenants, as bound by the rule. Enforcement can begin with a written notice of correction rather than an immediate citation, and the director may also suspend or revoke a permit to conduct activities at the airport or issue a cease-and-desist order against a repeat violator, up to removing the person from airport grounds and denying further access if that is in the public interest.