Hitting a bird, a hailstorm, or lightning; Which is Worse?
Lightning has the potential to damage the lights in a cabin and cause a blackout. It’s simple to get the whole system up and running again after a lightning strike. The next thing to avoid is birds.

The creatures may harm the engine if they enter it. To avoid this, aircraft are built to make noises that frighten away birds. A hailstorm, on the other hand, may cause a far more serious problem because weather is readily observable and avoided.