Around 100 pest birds that experts say pose a risk to planes and passengers flying in and out of Perth Airport will be culled, the local council has confirmed.

The number of master scavengers Australian White Ibis, commonly referred to as bin chickens or tip turkeys, at the Red Hill Waste Management Facility has increased so dramatically that the East Metropolitan Regional Council has been forced to take action.

Nearby residents have been told to expect gunshots from Monday, as a program to thin the numbers of pest birds gets under way.

In a letter addressed to residents, the council said the Ibis “can carry and transmit disease … and most importantly they pose an imminent threat to planes from bird strikes”.

“The Ibis represents a very serious problem, simply because it's a very large bird,” aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas said.

“Bird strikes can and do bring down planes.

“A 747 pilot told me his aircraft encountered an Ibis on take-off from Sydney and the vibrations from the engine, it took out an engine, were so severe that he could not read the instruments.”

According to Australian Transport Safety Bureau figures, there were 135 bird strikes at Perth Airport between 2015 and 2017.

The Red Hill facility, where the Ibis population is growing, is within the flight path of Perth Airport planes.

The culling program will be staggered during the year by a contractor.

The first round of the cull is due to start on Monday.