Final answer:
Hercules used his arrows or a sling to shoot down the Stymphalian birds once they were in the air, completing one of his twelve labors. He may have used a rattle given by Athena to scare the birds into flight.
Step-by-step explanation:
The story of Hercules and the Stymphalian birds is one of the twelve labors given to Hercules. According to the myth, once Hercules had frightened the Stymphalian birds into the air, he shot them down with his arrows or a sling, depending on the version of the myth. The birds were man-eating creatures with beaks of bronze and sharp metallic feathers they could launch at their victims, and eliminating them was a service to the region of Stymphalus in Arcadia. In some versions, Hercules used a rattle given to him by Athena to scare the birds into flight, making them easier targets.
This labor showcased Hercules' ingenuity as he had to come up with a way to deal with the birds since they were too dangerous to approach on foot.
Learn more about Stymphalian birds