When an aircraft loses engine power, this automatically pops out. As in this scenario, not all instruments are powered and one has only one shot at landing, this is to assist in the expected imminent landing; it operates something like a curb feeler on a car. When you hear the propeller impacting the runway, you know that you’re probably too low.
The incoming bird sensor first senses any incoming birds; then, its cushioned robotic hand (think an oversized Mickey Mouse hand) gently smacks them out of the way of the plane’s path.
There’s one on each side of the plane, of course, but it’s for redundancy only, as the Auxiliary Steering System can be used in forward or reverse, allowing one unit to rotate the plane to both port and starboard.
That’s the built in leaf blower to make sure that the runway is clear for autumn landings. Most airports have their own de-leafing crews, but not all of them.
They were mandated to be installed after a string of landing crashes in the 90s got people making “fall” jokes too often, which upset the FAA.