Wildlife and Windmill
Windmills and Impact on Wildlife
Introduction
Please find included in this document three separate references. The first reference is an excerpt from a report to the U.S.
Congress. This report acknowledges that birds can get killed when they roost on the
horizontal cross bars of a latticed tower and then fly through the wind turbine's rotor.
This information mainly comes from California where huge windfarms were built along
migratory bird routes. The recommendation to reduce bird kill impact is to use solid pole
towers such as that proposed for 1460 Marchner Road. This keeps birds from roosting on the
tower.
The second document is entitled "Avian Collision and Electrocution: An Annotated Bibliography". It deals with bird mortality due to towers, electric wires, and wind turbines. Many of the wind turbine references deal with Altamont Pass in California or other large wind farms in California. The Altamont wind farm is composed of 7,000 industrial-sized turbines built in a migratory bird route. The one reference pertaining to lone, residential-type wind turbines is reference #259. Reference #60 addresses guy wire risks to wildlife. Below is a list of all references that refer to wind turbines. It may be helpful to read some of the references that deal with the impact of towers and electrical wires on birds. These suggest that whenever humans build any structure, be it windows, cars, towers, or wires, bird mortality will increase. From my reading of the bibliographies, it appears a lone residential windmill will have no more adverse effect on birds than would any other man-made structure (e.g. house, car, radio tower, utility pole, etc.).
The third reference is an article from Home Power magazine that was written by wind
turbine guru Mick Sangrillo. You can download the entire
article as a pdf file.
ENERGY AND WATER DEVELOPMENT APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1998
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1997.
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
WITNESSES
HON. FEDERICO PENÁ, SECRETARY OF ENERGY
THOMAS P. GRUMBLY, UNDER SECRETARY
Mr. HOFFMAN. The fact of the matter is that birds get killed when they roost on the
towers that support the wind machines, and their vision is so acute that they see their
prey and don't see the rotating blades which are moving very fast, and so they take off
after prey and fly through the blades without even realizing the blades are there. So the
real problem is, how do you keep the birds from roosting on that wind support structure
before they ever go off after their prey? And we're learning that there are certain
sounds, there are certain colors, and there are certain kinds of support structures that
don't allow birds to roost.
For example, if you look at some of the older wind machines, they're on flat
structures. The birds like to roost on those horizontal struts. If you put in a
cylindrical support tower, they don't do it, and you can really reduce the number of birds
that are killed.
Part of the problem also is the kind of birds you're killing in California are golden
eagles, and if you kill one eagle in this country, it's a serious problem. We're trying to
reduce that mortality rate, so there won't be an environmental or any other opposition to
wind, which is a very important energy resource for this country. We can open up the wind
resource in this country with the advanced wind turbines we're developing and basically
supply all the electricity in the United States, if you tapped all the potential that was
there.
Avian Collision and
Electrocution:
An Annotated Bibliography
see web page: http://www.energy.ca.gov/reports/avian_bibliography.html
for full document
California Energy Commission, October 1995
Publication Number: P700-95-001
Elaine Hebert, Erin Reese, Principal Authors
Lauren Mark, Contributing Author
Richard Anderson, Project Manager
James A. Brownell, Supervisor, Biology, Water and Soils Unit
Robert B. Haussler, Manager, Environmental Protection Office
Robert L. Therkelsen, Deputy Director, Energy Facilities Siting & Environmental
Protection Division
This document is available from the Energy Commission's publications unit. Please
contact them directly for the cost; ask about publication number P700-95-001.
California Energy Commission
Publications Unit
1516 Ninth Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-654-5200
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The work on this annotated bibliography started in 1986 and progressed to completion with
the assistance of several hard-working persons. We would like to acknowledge and thank
these people for their efforts.
We are grateful to James Estep for the initial literature collection efforts. Over the
years, Joan Humphrey, Martin Scheel, Katherine Bodeman-Wadsworth, and Dick Anderson
continued the literature search. We could not have gathered such a diversity of books,
reports, and articles without the dedicated and professional assistance of Diana Watkins
and Mary Chilcote in the California Energy Commission's in-house library. We thank you all
for your untiring efforts.
We also extend thanks to Tino Flores and Sue Foster of the California Energy
Commission's Graphic Arts section for the cover design and final report format. We thank
Julie Dinsdale for the cover artwork.
Finally, we thank Robert Haussler, James Brownell, Dave Maul and Dick Anderson for
their editing assistance and for their support and encouragement throughout this project.
PREFACE
This annotated bibliography was initiated as a result of rising concern throughout the
world about the losses of birds due to collisions with power lines and other wires,
towers, wind turbines, and other structures, and from electrocution by power lines. We
hope that the information contained in this bibliography will help reduce these
unnecessary losses. This information can be used to improve the planning, structure
configuration and design, siting location, and mitigation measures for new projects and
for potential retrofit efforts where appropriate. These considerations would result in
benefits to world bird populations and assist in avoiding costly delays and maintenance
efforts resulting from bird collision and electrocution mortality. As the world's human
population grows and development expands into rural and other undeveloped areas, the
impact of engineered structures on bird populations becomes increasingly critical. I hope
this annotated list will provide assistance to both those involved in the design and
siting of these structures and those concerned about bird populations world-wide.
Richard L. Anderson
Wildlife Biologist
California Energy Commission
Sacramento, CA
September 20, 1995
Reference Numbers dealing with windmills
Wind turbines, wind energy development 3, 4, 8, 22, 65, 191, 206, 207, 226, 227, 237, 259,
280, 287, 295, 297, 298,330, 331, 332, 346, 351, 366, 433, 438, 461, 462, 463, 464, 465
AVIAN COLLISION AND ELECTROCUTION:
AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION
This project was initiated in response to numerous inquiries regarding avian collisions
and electrocution mortalities at human-made structures. Problems caused by avian
electrocution and collision with power lines include costly power outages and wildlands
fires. These problems can result in expensive maintenance and repair efforts,
inconvenience for rate payers, and unnecessary losses of birds. Public concern over these
issues can also delay permitting and affect the routing of new facilities. Several state
and federal laws may be enforced which could result in costly structural modifications of
existing and new facilities.
Concerns regarding the causes and extent of avian mortality, locations of recurring
incidents, and potential solutions have not always been adequately considered in the past.
This compilation of literature on avian mortality will assist those industry and agency
planners and researchers concerned with avoiding and resolving existing and future impacts
of projects on avian species.
This bibliography contains entries mainly from 1876 to 1992, and the majority are from
the United States. Most entries are taken from journals or periodicals, conference
proceedings, government documents, private publications, utility company reports, books,
academic theses, and newspaper articles. Copies of all items included in this bibliography
are on file in the California Energy Commission's Environmental Protection Office.
Unless other wise noted, each item was read and annotated. Special attention was given
to the following aspects of the reports: numbers of individual birds and species killed or
injured, contributing factors, habitat and other locational characteristics, and design
features of the structures which resulted in injuries or death.
Other annotated bibliographies on the subject of avian mortality at human-made
structures are currently available. Two such documents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service were used extensively for this publication; entries originating therefrom are
noted by asterisks ("*" denotes Avery et al. 1978; "**" denotes Avery
et al. 1980). The intent for this bibliography is to present an up-to-date compilation of
the most significant articles available on the subject; periodic updates and reprinting of
this report are planned. Please send notification of additional references and errors to
"Avian Collision and Electrocution: An Annotated Bibliography" to the California
Energy Commission, MS #40, 1516 9th Street, Sacramento, California 95814, USA. Suggestions
to improve the format are also welcome.
USE OF INDICES
This annotated bibliography contains 468 citations of literature from the United States
and other countries. Much of the literature selected discusses avian collision mortality
with power lines, wind turbines, towers, or other structures. Other literature was
selected for its discussion of avian species affected by electrocution.
Non-English-language reports are included when an English summary was available.
This bibliography's format, modeled after Avery et al. (1978, 1980), is designed to be
as efficient and as user-friendly as possible. Citations are other wise by subject matter,
kinds of birds, locations, and authors; subject categories are broad and include the type
of structures involved and the major topics discussed in the articles. The types of birds
(taxonomic) are other wise according to family (e.g., warblers) or group (e.g.,
shorebirds). United States incidents are other wise by state within U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service regional boundaries, and incidents outside the United States are other wise under
Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Europe, Pacific Isles, and South America
and the West Indies.
ALPHABETICAL LISTING BY AUTHOR
1. Able, K.P. 1966. Television tower mortality near Louisville. Kentucky Warbler
42(2):27-28.
Five kills totaling 25 birds of 16 species occurred at a 973-foot tower in
Kentucky during fall 1965 in association with low
pressure systems and frontal activity.
2. *Able, K.P. 1973. The changing seasons. American Birds 27(1):19-23.
In fall 1972, single night kills exceeding 1,000 birds occurred at TV towers in
Tennessee and Florida, and two events occurred
at the floodlit chimneys of the Lanais, Ontario, Canada, power plant.
3. Airola, D. 1987. Bird abundance and movements at the Potrero Hills wind turbine
site, Solano County, California. Prepared for the Solano County Department of
Environmental Management, Fairfield, California. Prepared by Jones and Stokes Associates,
Sacramento, California. 43 pp.
"The proposed wind turbine site at the Potrero Hills, Solano County
[California], was studied to determine use of the area by
waterfowl, other waterbirds, raptors, and songbirds, and to assess potential for
project-related impacts." Primary flight altitudes
for the various bird groups were estimated through observations. Birds, especially
raptors, songbirds, and gulls, often flew
below the 30 m height of the proposed turbines, and collisions were determined likely for
some species. The author finds the
sites adequate as experimental and control sites for future monitoring if turbines are
installed.
4. Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties, California. 1988. Request for
proposals: a study of wind turbine
effects on avian activity and habitat use. 17 pp.
This request for proposal represents a joint effort by Alameda, Contra Costa, and
Solano Counties (California) "to provide
information necessary for predicting and mitigating the potential impact to avifauna
resulting from wind turbine construction and
operation in wind resource areas." A summary of a California Energy Commission (CEC)
workshop on wind turbine effects on
avian activity and habitat use is included.
5. *Alsop, F.J., III and G.O. Wallace. 1969. Spring tower-kill in Knox County.
Migrant 40(3):57-58.
Twenty casualties (ten species) were collected at the WTKV tower in Tennessee
following the night of 7-8 May, 1969. A list
of the losses is given including measurements of weight, length, tail, bill, tarsus, and
gonad size. Weather data are also included.
6. *Andersen-Harild, P. and D. Block. 1972. Birds killed by overhead wires in some
localities in Denmark. Dansk
orn. Foren. Tidsskr. 67:15-23. (In Danish; English summary.)
During October 1971, bird losses were monitored along 13.1 km of power lines (60
kV, 150 kV, and smaller overhead wires)
at four locations in Denmark. Most of the lines crossed reed beds or shallow water areas.
Of the 105 casualties, 80 percent
were found directly beneath the wires. The most lethal of the four sites had a "wall
of wires" configuration (twelve wires at eight
different levels) and averaged nine recovered birds per 24 hours per ten km of power line.
About 60 percent of the total losses
were of species nesting in the area (herons, ducks, shorebirds, gulls) and 40 percent were
migrants (moorhens, owls, thrushes,
starlings, songbirds). Swans, gulls, and certain shorebirds were particularly vulnerable
but ducks were killed in relatively low
numbers. One species of bittern that was involved, Botarus stellaris, is close to
extinction in Denmark. Overhead wire systems
should be regarded "as part of the correlation of the environmental factors which
have a negative effect on bird populations."
7. Anderson, A.H. 1933. Electrocution of purple martins. Condor 35(1):204.
This article is an account of one male and one female purple martin found
electrocuted by a power line at an irrigation reservoir
near Tucson, Arizona.
8. Anderson, R.L., and J.A. Estep. 1988. Wind energy development in California:
impacts, mitigation, monitoring,
and planning. California Energy Commission, Sacramento. 12 pp.
Of 147 documented avian collision and electrocution incidents at California wind
energy facilities from 1985 to 1988, 101 have
been raptors. Of these, 34 were eagles and 58 were hawks. In the Altamont Pass, an average
of 11 eagle and 17 hawk
incidents occurred annually. Ninety-one percent of all documented avian mortality
incidents resulted in mortality. This mortality
information identified the need for further studies to better understand and resolve
biological effects of wind projects.
9. Anderson, S.H., K. Mann, and H.H. Shugart, Jr. 1977. The effect of
transmission-line corridors on bird
populations. American Midland Naturalist 97(1):216-221.
"Observations of bird populations were made along transmission-line
corridors of four different widths (12, 30.5, 61, 91.5 m)
in areas in which the transmission line rights-of-way traversed typical eastern Tennessee
deciduous forest." Detailed
grid-mapping of individual bird sightings was done. The 12-meter corridors showed reduced
species diversity while the 30.5-m
corridor had high bird density and diversity. Wider corridors "were less diverse but
attracted several open country bird species
not characteristic of surrounding forest." The forest habitat had the highest species
diversity.
10. *Anderson, W.L. 1978. Waterfowl collisions with power lines at a coal-fired
power plant. Wildlife Society
Bulletin 6(2):77-83.
An estimated 400 birds per fall season (0.4 percent of the peak number present)
were killed by colliding with overhead power
lines at the Lake Sangchris/Kincaid, Illinois, power plant during 1973-75. Blue-winged
teal were the most vulnerable and
mallards the least vulnerable to collisions. Factors believed to be responsible for losses
include the number and species of birds
present, lack of visibility of the lines, disturbances that startle birds into flight, and
the degree of familiarity of the birds with the
area. To reduce waterfowl losses in general, it is recommended that lines not be built
over water, that lines not cross places
where waterfowl are known to congregate, that the visibility of lines be enhanced, and
that waterfowl not be disturbed in the
vicinity of existing lines.
11. Anderson, W.W. 1975. Pole changes keep eagles flying. Transmission and
Distribution 27:28-31.
Proliferation across the United States of high voltage transmission lines is
considered a significant cause for the dwindling eagle
population due to electrocution. In 1973, an estimated 300 golden eagles died on the
country's power lines; 98 percent were
young birds just learning to fly. "It was found that electrocution occurred
exclusively on a single pole crossarm type construction
where the conductors were nearly horizontal and had insufficient spacing." Golden
eagles preferred poles where the crossarm
was perpendicular to the prevailing wind and in a commanding topographical position. This
can be taken into account by the
power company to reduce the number of poles requiring modification. Tower nesting sites
are a benefit of power lines to eagles
in areas where other natural nest sites do not occur. Rather than destroying tower eyries,
line workers can trim long sticks used
in nest-building to clear the conductor and prevent outages.
12. Anonymous. 1954. Disaster in migration. Chat 18(4):104-105.
On 7 October 1954, a "rain" of small birds at several spots in the
Southeast occurred. In Charleston, South Carolina, about
100 dead birds of 24 species were identified, and in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 190
birds of 21 species were collected
from near the respective airport ceilometers. Most of these birds were warblers. The
catastrophe was attributed to a
combination of "tumbling temperatures, overcast skies, ... stabbing beacons,"
and a cross-wind associated with a cold front.
13. *Anonymous. 1961. Large bird kills at TV towers. Bluebird 28(1):9.
A brief summary of two kills in Missouri is given: 658 birds (41 species) and one
red bat at Columbia, on 24 September 1960,
and about 100 birds (at least 16 species) at Cape Girardeau on 27 September 1960.
14. Anonymous. 1973. Eagle electrocution study underway. Idaho Wildlife Review
(Sept./Oct.):16.
A collaborative study by six Western state utility companies looked at power
lines and eagle electrocutions. The research
indicated that some eagle deaths were from being shot then electrocuted; in one area,
"15 of 17 apparent electrocutions turned
out to be shootings." Recommended measures for preventing electrocution include
shortening the ground wires that run down
utility poles to earth, covering transformers and other energized parts, replacing steel
crossarm braces with wood braces, and
lowering or lengthening a crossarm.
15. Anonymous. 1978. Management recommendations - raptors. Unpublished in-house
document, California
Energy Commission, Sacramento. 37 pp.
This series of three annotated bibliographies lists documents dealing with
electrocution and collision deaths of raptors, siting of
power lines, and mitigation measures. Raptor mortality is cited as an impact to be
considered in siting power lines; particularly
problematic are lines on migration routes and near wintering grounds, resting areas, and
communal roosts. Mitigation and
management considerations are cited from various studies including environmental documents
for power line and power plant
construction. Recommendations include identifying utility pole structures causing the most
electrocutions and increasing line
visibility by attaching highly visible markers.
16. Anonymous. 1981. 500-kV towers are for the birds. Electrical World 195(7):27.
Large platforms were installed on Pacific Power and Light Company's 500-kV
Oregon-Idaho AC line to prevent birds from
nesting on the crossarm lattice members of utility poles and to protect insulators from
excrement contamination and flashovers.
The platforms became preferred nest sites for eagles.
17. *Arend, P.H. 1970. The ecological impact of transmission lines on the wildlife
of San Francisco Bay. Prepared
by Wildlife Associates for Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), San Ramon, California.
24 pp.
This study of selected Pacific Gas and Electric steel tower transmission lines
was conducted during June, July, and August
1970. While observing that "a few ducks obviously did occasionally hit the power
lines," the author concludes, "...there can be
no doubt that, qualitatively, the steel tower transmission line ecologically enhances
rather than detracts from the wildlife
environment."
18. Armbruster, M.J. 1990. Characterization of habitat used by whooping cranes
during migration. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service Report 90(4).
Power lines were identified as influencing whooping cranes in their selection of
roosting sites near rivers and wetlands in
Nebraska. Participants in a workshop on this topic felt that power lines should be treated
as a potential mortality factor for
cranes with the minimum width of affected area at no less than 100 m.
19. *Arnold, J.R. 1960. Black rail in San Joaquin Valley of California. Condor
62(5):405.
A black rail was found dead on 26 August 1959 near Stockton, California, having
apparently struck a fence or an overhead
wire.
20. *Aronoff, A. 1949. The September migration tragedy. Linnaean Newsletter
3(1):1-2.
Mortality at the Empire State Building (over 200 birds, 30 species) on the night
of 10 September 1948 is discussed, and a
species list is provided. Also discussed are kills at a Nashville, Tennessee, airport
ceilometer involving 248 birds of 35 species;
at a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, building (at least 11 species); and at a 450-foot tower
in Baltimore, Maryland. A list of
casualties from the Nashville incident is included.
21. Asplundh Environmental Services. 1979. Right-of-way ecological effects
bibliography. Prepared for the Electric
Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, California. EA-1080. Research Project 855-1. 246 pp.
This annotated bibliography contains 824 citations of documents describing
ecological effects of overhead transmission line
rights-of-way. The citations are other ed according to author, subject, and ecological
region. Forty documents on bird mortality
are included.
22. Association of Bay Area Governments. 1987. Small but powerful: a review guide
to small alternative energy
projects for California local decisions. Oakland, California. 66 pp.
Bird collisions and electrocutions with wind turbines and associated wires are
cited as wind energy development impacts.
"Although bird mortality rates are relatively low, even these rates may be
significant for endangered raptors," notably the
California condor, peregrine falcon, and bald eagle. Power lines near water have been
found to be more hazardous than in
other areas. Appropriate mitigation measures are discussed and techniques for protecting
birds are given. Special attention is
given to the California condor as a major source of conflict with wind farm development.
23. *Avery, M. and T. Clement. 1972. Bird mortality at four towers in eastern
North Dakota: Fall 1972. Prairie
Naturalist 4(3/4):87-95.
During fall 1972, 561 dead birds (88 species) and five red bats were collected at
four towers in North Dakota, two of which
exceed 2,000 feet and are reportedly the tallest in the world. (The species most
frequently killed at the Omega tower, farther
south and west than the other three towers, were characteristic of marsh and prairie
grassland areas. Species killed near the
other three towers were characteristic of forest and forest edge habitats.) Species lists
of the casualties are given and scavenger
activity at the sites is discussed.
24. *Avery, M., P.F. Springer, and J.F. Cassel. 1977. Weather influences on
nocturnal bird mortality at a North
Dakota tower. Wilson Bulletin 89(2):291-299.
Mortality at the 366-meter Omega tower in North Dakota in 1972 and 1973 is
examined relative to nightly cloud and wind
conditions. Most fall losses occurred under overcast skies associated with the passage of
cold fronts as migrant species milled
about the tower. However, 58 percent of the spring losses took place on non-overcast
nights, mainly through collisions with
outlying guy wires: rails and fringillids were killed mostly on non-overcast nights, while
warblers died in greater numbers on
overcast nights; warblers tended to be killed much closer to the central, lighted
structure than were fringillids; and
non-passerines suffered substantially greater losses far from the tower than did
passerines, especially on non-overcast nights.
Behavioral differences noted by other investigators are included as well.
25. Avery, M.L., ed. 1978. Impacts of transmission lines on birds in flight:
proceedings of a workshop. Oak Ridge
Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, Tennessee. 31 January - 2 February 1978. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service,
Biological Services Program. FWS/OBS-78/48. 151 pp.
Three major issues regarding the impact of transmission lines on birds are
addressed: the magnitude of the problem, possible
short-term solutions, and future (long-term) approaches. The proceedings include papers on
migratory behavior and flight
patterns, mitigation through engineering and design modification, studies of Bonneville
Power Administration lines, impacts on
waterfowl and eagles, transmission line engineering and its relationship to migratory
birds, transmission line routes through water
habitats, and a case study of the Klamath Basin. References, summaries, and a list of
participants are included.
26. Avery, M.L., P.F. Springer, and N.S. Dailey. 1978. Avian mortality at man-made
structures: an annotated
bibliography. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Services Program, National Power
Plant Team.
FWS/OBS-78/58. 108 pp.
This bibliography on avian mortality and human-made structures contains 853
international entries. Citations are other ed
according to subjects, kinds of birds, and locations. "The majority of the reports
include the number of individuals and species
killed, with some observations of weather conditions at the time of the incident, bird
behavior near the structure, or comments
on the attraction of birds to lights."
27. Avery, M.L., P.F. Springer, and N.S. Dailey. 1980. Avian mortality at man-made
structures: an annotated
bibliography (revised). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Biological Services Program,
National Power Plant Team.
FWS/OBS-80/54. 152 pp.
This revised version of the 1978 bibliography contains 189 new international
annotations for a total of 1,042 entries. Citations
are other ed according to subjects, kinds of birds, and locations. "The majority of
the reports include the number of individuals
and species killed, with some observations of weather conditions at the time of the
incident, bird behavior near the structure, or
comments on the attraction of birds to lights."
28. *Bagg, A.M. 1957. The changing seasons. Audubon Field Notes 11(4):312-325.
Avian mortality in spring at towers in Jacksonville (300 birds) and Leon County
(46 birds, 14 species), Florida, are mentioned.
29. *Bagg, A.M. 1965. The changing seasons; spring migrants: the few and the many.
Audubon Field Notes
19(4):438-446.
On the night of 26 April 1965, in thick fog, 150-175 birds landed on the deck of
a tanker off the New Jersey coast. The only
casualties were 23 Cape May warblers that apparently struck the ship's superstructure.
30. *Bagg, A.M. 1969. The changing seasons. Audubon Field Notes 23(1):4-12.
During September and October 1968, kills were reported from towers in Manitoba,
Canada, and the states of Wisconsin,
New York, Ohio, Tennessee (1,800 ovenbirds among the casualties at Nashville), and Florida
(853 birds of 80 species at
WCTV near Tallahassee).
31. *Bagg, A.M. 1971. The changing seasons. American Birds 25(1):16-23.
Lists are given for 55 species killed during late September at the Empire State
Building and eight towers in the eastern U.S.
32. *Bagg, A.M. and R.P. Emery. 1964. The fall migration: northeastern maritime
region. Audubon Field Notes
18(1):7-17.
The casualties (over 488 birds, mostly warblers) and weather at a lighthouse in
the Bay of Fundy during fall 1963 are discussed
at length.
33. Baglien, J.W. 1975. Biology and habitat requirements of the nesting golden
eagle in southwestern Montana.
Thesis. Montana State University, Bozeman. 53 pp.
During the study (1972-1974), one bald eagle and one golden eagle were
electrocuted during spring at power poles along the
Madison Valley floor. The power poles may be considered preferred perching sites only
during the wintering and spring
seasons. Artificial perches were not found to be attractive to birds in mountainous areas
where natural perches such as trees or
rock outcroppings were readily available.
34. *Bailey, A.M. 1929. Bird casualties. Wilson Bulletin 41(2):106-107.
Two female woodcocks died from collisions, one against a building and the other
with an overhead wire. A black-footed
albatross on Laysan Island struck a wire and broke its leg.
35. *Baird, J. 1962. The changing seasons: a summary of the fall migration.
Audubon Field Notes 16(1):4-6.
Over 10,000 collision casualties were reported from around the country during
fall 1961. A tower in Eau Claire, Wisconsin,
caused 5,097 of these casualties while two TV towers in Boston, Massachusetts, caused very
few. Reports of negative findings
are urged.
36. *Baird, J. 1964. The changing seasons. Audubon Field Notes 18(1):4-6.
During fall 1963, 33,406 birds were reported killed at towers and 488 at
lighthouses in the United States and Canada. Most
losses resulted from a single cold front that passed through Minnesota and southern
Ontario during 18-21 September.
37. *Baird, J., R.I. Emery, and R. Emery. 1959. Fall migration: northeastern
maritime region. Audubon Field Notes
13(1):11-13.
In Massachusetts, on the night of 19 September 1958, over 300 birds (mostly
warblers and vireos) were killed at two Boston
TV towers and over 200 (mostly warblers and flycatchers) died at a Springfield
searchlight.
38. *Ball, R.E. 1973. Bird mortality at towers in Marysville, Missouri: Fall 1972.
Transactions, Missouri Academy of Science 7/8:294.
Three small towers (250, 400, and 408 feet tall) were checked for dead birds from
5 September to 16 November 1972. No
large single-night kills were recorded, and altogether 71 birds of 33 species, mostly
sparrows, were recovered. Most were
believed to have collided with guy wires rather than the towers themselves. (Abstr.)
39. *Bamberg, J.B., R. Warriner, H.O. Todd, and H.C. Monk. 1935. Nocturnal
migration in stormy weather.
Migrant 6(4):77-80.
Birds heard and seen at an illuminated 100-foot water tower while migrating
through Tennessee in poor weather are discussed.
About 50 birds (10 species) were found dead in this late October incident.
40. *Banko, W.E. 1960. The trumpeter swan: its history, habits, and population in
the United States. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Washington, D.C. 214 pp.
Known trumpeter swan accidents seemed to be confined largely to striking power,
telephone, or fence wires in flight. Most
swan collisions with overhead cables and fences occurred during winter fogs. Five
instances of wire collisions in Montana are
mentioned; four out of five strikes were fatal.
41. Banks, R.C. 1979. Human related mortality of birds in the United States. U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service,
Washington, D.C. Special Scientific Report: Wildlife No. 215. 16 pp.
Reports of mass mortality at radio and TV towers usually occur as a result of a
particular weather pattern affecting a
geographic area. Most reports of avian mortality at towers are based on single incidents
of mass death, or at best, recoveries of
dead birds over a short period of time. These are considered of little value in
establishing an estimate of the number of birds that may be killed on an annual basis
under "normal" conditions (i.e., "a single instance of spectacular mass
mortality may far exceed the normal annual mortality"). Several studies cited support
an annual mortality rate of 2,500 birds per tower on average.
42. *Barbour, R.W. 1961. An unusual bird mortality at Lexington. Kentucky Warbler
37(3):55.
Following the stormy night of 7 May 1961, 82 dead birds (21 species) were
collected at a 670-foot tower in Lexington,
Kentucky.
43. Batten, L.A. 1978. The seasonal distribution of recoveries and causes of
blackbird mortality. Bird Study
25(1):23-31.
"Miscellaneous accidents" -- including "flew into power cables or
telephone wires" -- were reported for 12,885 adult blackbird
recoveries from 1909 to 1970 in Great Britain. Fewer birds were found dead during winter
months.
44. *Baumgartner, F.M. 1959. Fall migration: southern Great Plains region. Audubon
Field Notes 13(1):43-45.
On 11 October 1958, "a large box of birds" including marsh and sedge
wrens was picked up at a TV tower in Dallas, Texas.
45. *Baumgartner, F.M. 1961. Fall migration: southern Great Plains region. Audubon
Field Notes 15(1):54-56.
On 22 October 1960, of eleven yellow rails found beneath a Dallas, Texas, TV
tower, eight were dead and three were injured.
46. *Baumgartner, F.M. 1963. Fall migration: southern Great Plains region. Audubon
Field Notes 17(1):45-46.
An unspecified number of birds were killed at an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, TV
tower in September 1962.
47. Beaulaurier, D.L. 1981. Mitigation of bird collisions with transmission lines.
Bonneville Power Administration,
Portland, Oregon. 83 pp.
"In this study removal of overhead groundwires was evaluated as a technique
for mitigating bird collisions with transmission
lines." Two sites were utilized: Lower Crab Creek, Washington (a 500-kV single
circuit line), and Bybee Lake in Portland,
Oregon (a 230-kV double circuit line). "Earlier studies at these sites had documented
small but measurable collision rates (i.e.,
number of collisions per number of flights) attributed primarily to collisions with
groundwires." From fieldwork conducted
October 1980 through March 1981, a total of seven dead birds and eight feather spots were
found after groundwire removal;
species included green-winged teal, northern pintail, greater scaup, American wigeon,
glaucous-winged gull, European starling,
red-winged blackbird, and song sparrow. "During pre-removal studies at these two
sites, a total of 53 dead birds and 22
feather spots were found over two years of study." Collision rates in every case were
less after groundwire removal; for both
sites studied, the average reduction in bird collision mortality was approximately
one-half. Although methodologies differed
among studies, wire marking seemed to reduce collision mortality about as effectively as
groundwire removal (average
reduction of 45 percent) where comparisons were possible. Airway marker balls and/or high
intensity lights may cause
decreased bird use of nearby habitat. It is important that markers do not cause wind or
ice loading which can interfere with line
reliability.
48. Beaulaurier, D.L., B.W. James, P.A. Jackson, J.R. Meyer, and J.M. Lee, Jr.
1982.
Mitigating the incidence of bird collisions with transmission lines. Pages 539-550 in:
Third Annual International Symposium on Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way
Management, San Diego, California, 15-18 February 1982. State College, Mississippi.
Mortality was measurable at five of twelve transmission line sections studied
"but was not a biologically significant cause of
avian mortality." A prior study by Bonneville Power Administration showed that birds
collided primarily with small-diameter
overhead groundwires. These wires were removed from three lines to assess the effect on
collision rates. Groundwire removal
appeared to reduce collisions by about one-half. This is comparable to reductions
attributed to marking of groundwires in other
studies. "Because removal of groundwires is not practical in many cases, further
development and testing of the effectiveness of
various marking techniques is needed." A table of results of different studies
marking groundwires and conductors is included.
49. Beecham, J.J. and M.N. Kochert. 1975. Breeding biology of the golden eagle in
southwestern Idaho. Wilson
Bulletin 87(4):506-513.
Cause of death was determined for golden eagles found along the Snake River
canyon in southwestern Idaho from 1968 to
1971. Of 28 birds recovered, twelve were immature eagles found electrocuted.
50. Belisle, A.A., W.L. Reichel, L.N. Locke, T.G. Lamont, R.M. Prouty, R.B.
DeWolf, and E. Cromartie. 1972.
Residues in fish, wildlife, and estuaries: residues of organo- chlorine
pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, and
mercury. Pesticides Monitoring Journal 6(3):133-138.
Twenty-eight bald eagle carcasses were collected in 1969 and 11 in 1970 from 13 states to
be analyzed for pesticide residues.
Of these, four were concluded to have died from "impact" and two from
electrocution.
51. Bellrose, F.C. 1971. The distribution of nocturnal migrants in the airspace.
Auk 88(2): 397-424.
Following the overcast night of 30 September 1965, ten birds of eight species
were picked up at a TV transmission tower near
Peoria, Illinois.
52. *Benning, W.E. 1978. Region 3: Finger Lakes. Kingbird 28(1):42-44.
During the cloudy, rainy period of 20-24 September 1977, a record 3,862 birds
were found dead at the Elmira, New York,
TV tower. On the night of 19 September alone, 1,817 birds of 39 species were collected. Of
the 48 total species, 24 were
warblers.
53. Benson, P.C. 1980. Large raptor electrocution and powerpole utilization: a
study in six western states. Raptor
Research (Winter):125-126.
Subadult age classes of raptors suffer greater mortalities due to inexperience in
flight ability and hunting methods. Habitat and
season can have an effect on mortality rates. Hunting methods can affect electrocution
risk: more electrocutions occur where
the main prey base is cottontail rabbits than jackrabbits. More eagles were electrocuted
in winter when snow caused
feather-wetting and the birds "still-hunted" (perched and waited for prey to
appear). The author recommends that pole
configurations be modified where needed.
54. Benson, P.C. and J.C. Dobbs. 1985. Collisions of cape vultures (Gyps
coprothers) with towers. Annual Meeting,
Raptor Research Foundation, Sacramento, California, 9 November 1985.
Forty-nine cape vulture carcasses were found at the base of a tower at the
Kransberg (Republic of South Africa) vulture
colony. Orange spheres were attached to the guy wires "to warn the vultures" and
during the following fledging season,
collisions decreased.
55. *Benton, A.H. 1954. Relationships of birds to power and communication lines.
Kingbird 4(3):65-66.
While acknowledging some losses of birds due to collisions with overhead wires,
the author states that "power and
communication lines now represent a valuable asset to bird life" in the form of nest
and perch sites.
56. *Bernard, R.F. 1966. Fall migration: western Great Lakes region. Audubon Field
Notes 20(1):45-46, 50-53.
On 6 September 1965, 7,085 dead birds (55 species) were collected at a tower near
Eau Claire, Wisconsin. At least 500
birds died by striking lighted windows and a neon sign near Newberry, Michigan, on 26
September.
57. *Bierly, M.L. 1973. 1971 fall television tower casualties in Nashville.
Migrant 44(1):5-6.
In what was described as an "average season," 990 birds (52 species)
died at the WSM tower and 135 (24 species) at WSIX
in Nashville, Tennessee.
58. *Bijleveld, M.F.I.J. and P. Goeldlin. 1976. Electrocution d'un couple de
Buses. Nos Oiseaux 33(6):280-281.
A pair of hawks was electrocuted at a 17-kV power line in Switzerland.
59. BioSystems Analysis, Inc. 1990. Wind turbine effects on the activities,
habitat, and death rate of birds.
Prepared for Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties, California. 2 pp.
A two-year study to evaluate the extent and significance of the impact of wind
turbines on bird life was started in 1989 in
Altamont Pass, California. The study site included about 16 percent of the approximately
7,000 turbines in the Pass. One
hundred fourteen dead birds were found between February 1989 and February 1990. Eighty-one
were raptors, the majority of
which were red-tailed hawks, American kestrels, and golden eagles. Sixty-three percent of
all deaths were attributed to turbine
collision, 12 percent to electrocution, 5 percent to wire collision, and 20 percent to
unknown causes. Most deaths resulted
from amputation injuries. "It was estimated that over 300 raptors were killed by
windfarm-related injuries within the Altamont
Pass area during the first year of study (1989-1990)."
60. Blake, C.H. 1958. Skull injuries at a TV tower. Chat (September):71.
Following the overcast night of 11 May 1958, ten freshly-killed passerines were picked up
at the WUNC-TV tower in
Hillsboro, North Carolina. Location of the carcasses suggested that "the birds were
hitting the tower itself and not the guy wires
and were deflected in falling by light wind from the southwest." Seven of the birds
had skull injuries, including hemorrhages,
suggesting a considerable proportion of glancing blows.
61. *Blokpoel, H. and D.R.M. Hatch. 1976. Snow geese, disturbed by aircraft, crash
into power lines. Canadian
Field Naturalist 90(2):195.
On 8 May 1974, several thousand snow and blue geese were feeding in a stubble field in
Manitoba, Canada, when a low-flying
aircraft caused them to take wing. In the "chaotic" rush into the air, 25-75
birds were killed or injured by striking power lines
that bordered one side of the field. It is not known whether death resulted from collision
or electrocution.
62. Bochkovskii, B.B., E.I. Udod, A.N. Sherentsis, and N.V. Yasinskaya. 1983.
Protecting power lines against
spark-over caused by large birds. Soviet Power Engineering 12(4):397-404.
Spark-overs (called 'flashovers' in the U.S.) were causing widespread power outages in
110- to 330-kV overhead lines in the
Ukraine during summer. These electrical discharges passed from the utility pole crossbeam
to a conductor via accumulated
excrement from storks. This report includes recommendations for protecting the lines from
storks and other large birds mainly
by erection of special barriers to prevent birds from landing near insulators. Bird
barrier design sketches are included.
63. *Boeker, E.L. and P.R. Nickerson. 1975. Raptor electrocutions. Wildlife
Society Bulletin 3(2):79-81.
Use of power line poles by raptors depends on topography, prey abundance, and availability
of natural perches.
"Electrocutions are most critical in states with the largest eagle populations --
primarily the mountainous western states." During
1969-71, over 300 eagles died by electrocution in the western United States. Documented
losses of raptors in 1972 and 1973
throughout the country totalled 281, 250 of which were golden eagles. Many victims were
young birds and nearly all deaths
occurred on small distribution lines where conductors were three to four feet apart.
Particularly troublesome stretches of line
were modified to alleviate the hazard.
64. Bohm, R.T. 1988. Three bald eagle nests on a Minnesota transmission line.
Journal of Raptor Research
22(1):34.
One nest in 1986 and two in 1987 were found on 250-kV DC transmission lines. Each nest
fledged two young successfully,
was between 21 and 24 m from the ground, and was within one km of a lake or river.
"An increasing bald eagle population, a
lack of natural nest sites and a proliferation of transmission lines may interact to
influence eagle use of powerlines in future
years."
65. Bonneville Power Administration. 1987. Cape Blanco wind farm feasibility
study: final report. U.S. Department
of Energy. Portland, Oregon. DOE/BP-11191-14. 187 pp.
Bird collision with wind turbines and transmission lines is discussed in this assessment
of wind energy development impacts.
Collisions with turbines are likely, with weather, flight altitude, and number and height
of operating turbines as contributing
factors. Turbine collisions are most likely to occur during the first two hours of night
at the initiation of migration (climbing
altitude). Because of limited visibility and increased collisions at night, the impact on
nocturnal migrant populations is a primary
concern. The author concludes that bird avoidance behavior is likely to be high (about 95
percent) over the Cape Blanco Wind
Farm.
66. Borell, A.E. 1939. Telephone wires fatal to sage grouse. Condor 41(1):85-86.
Three dead sage grouse were found beneath telephone lines paralleling a road north of
Beaver, Utah. It appeared that the
collisions occurred as the birds flew back and forth from alfalfa pastures and grain
fields to the sagebrush-covered mesas on the
other side of the road.
67. Boshoff, A. and C. Fabricius. 1986. Black eagles nesting on man-made
structures. Bokmakierie 38(3):67-70.
The authors believed this to be the first report of black eagles, Aquila verreauxii,
nesting on human-made structures. Several
eagles were found electrocuted in 1984 and 1985 at a communications tower near Hopetown,
South Africa. Subsequent
attention to the matter of bird use of towers for nesting resulted in greater awareness
"of the need to preserve raptor nests on ...
structures and to keep disturbance to an absolute minimum during the critical stages of
the breeding season."
68. *Boso, B. 1965. Bird casualties at a southeastern Kansas TV tower.
Transactions of the Kansas Academy of
Science 68(1):131-136.
The 1,200-foot KOAM-TV tower in Kansas was checked regularly for dead birds during the
fall of 1963 (75 birds, 35
species) and spring 1964 (50 birds, 14 species). A species list, weather on the days of
collection, and the distribution of
casualties about the tower are given.
69. *Boyd, H. 1961. Reported casualties to ringed ducks in the spring and summer.
Wildfowl Trust 12th Annual
Report:144-146.
Overhead wire collision was identified as the cause of death for 17 British-banded ducks
(mostly mallard and teal species)
recovered from March to August (no year given). In all, 87 "accidental" deaths
were recorded. About 70 percent of the ducks
killed were males.
70. *Boyd, H. and M. Ogilvie. 1964. Losses of mute swans in England in the winter
of 1962-63. Wildfowl Trust 15th
Annual Report:37-39.
Losses of mute swans due to collisions with overhead wires were abnormally low in January
and February 1963, accounting
for only 35 of the 264 reported deaths.
71. Brady, A. 1969. An electrocuted great horned owl. Cassinia 51:57.
An owl was found clutching a Norway rat and hanging from a power line in early November
1968 at Mechanicsville,
Pennsylvania. The incident occurred presumably when the rat held by the owl touched the
wire below the owl's perch and
created a short circuit.
72. *Breckenridge, W.J. 1958. Fall migration: western Great Lakes region. Audubon
Field Notes 12(1):32-33.
Between 31 August and 20 September 1957, three large kills were reported at a new
1,000-foot tower in Eau Claire,
Wisconsin. The 2,972 casualties (42 species) found on 20 September included 23 species of
warblers.
73. *Breckenridge, W.J. 1959. Spring migration: western Great Lakes region.
Audubon Field Notes 13(4):371-373.
On 17 May, 284 birds were killed from colliding with a TV tower in Detroit, Michigan.
74. *Brewer, R. and J.A. Ellis. 1958. An analysis of migrating birds killed at a
television tower in east-central
Illinois, September 1955-May 1957. Auk 75(4):400-414.
This is a comprehensive account of the occurrence of avian mortality resulting from
impacts with a 983-foot tower near
Champaign, Illinois. Analysis of seven mortality incidents includes species lists (486
dead birds, 51 species), weather data,
comparisons with kills elsewhere, sex, age, and fat content of birds collected, spatial
distribution of the carcasses around the
tower, and a discussion of the attraction of birds to the tower.
75. Bromby, R. 1981. Killer lines in Colorado present an electrocution hazard for
raptors. Colorado Division of
Wildlife, Wildlife News 6(3).
This report cites a Utah study in which 529 eagle carcasses were found under 250 miles of
power lines. Of the 69 carcasses
fresh enough to determine the cause of death, 58 had been electrocuted, 10 had been shot,
and one had struck a power line.
The author notes that entanglement of birds by loosely wrapped wires has surfaced as a
major problem in recent years. "Killer
wires" are described as those with loose wrapping of wire, short crossarms, ground
wires that run to the top of the pole, and
metal cross braces.
76. Brown, L. 1976. British Birds of Prey: a study of Britain's 24 diurnal
raptors. N N Collins, London.
This study indicates that wire collision is the most common single cause of accidental
death of merlins in England.
77. Brown, W.M., R.C. Drewien, and E.G. Bizeau. 1987. Mortality of cranes and
waterfowl from power line
collisions in the San Luis Valley, Colorado. Pages 128-135 in: Proceedings of the 4th
Crane Workshop, 1985. Platte
River Whooping Crane Habitat Maintenance Trust, Grand Island, Nebraska.
The authors recommend that no new transmission lines be placed within two km of
traditional roost or feeding sites. The static
wire (the nonconducting topmost wire on a power line used to minimize power outages from
lightning strikes) is normally
smaller than the conductors and appears to be the wire most often struck by birds in
flight. Static wire removal is recommended
whenever possible, but modification and/or better marking are preferred methods.
78. *Browne, M.M. and W. Post. 1972. Black rails hit a television tower at
Raleigh, North Carolina. Wilson
Bulletin 84(4):491-492.
A black rail was found dead at the 1,175-foot WRAL tower in Raleigh, North Carolina, on 19
September 1969 and
anotheron 27 September 1970.
79. **Byrd, V., J. Sincock, and T. Telfer. 1978. The status of Newell's manx
shearwater, a threatened species.
Page 80 in: Pacific Seabird Group 5th Annual Meeting, Asilomar, California, 13-16
December. Pacific Seabird
Group, Stinson Beach, California.
On Kauai, Hawaii, shearwaters are susceptible to collisions with human-made objects such
as power lines, buildings, and cars
after being blinded by bright lights. This problem is worsening annually due to increased
tourism and the resulting development
and traffic.
80. Byrne, S. 1983. Bird movements and collision mortality at a large horizontal
axis wind turbine. Cal-Neva
Wildlife Transactions:76-83.
This study was conducted as a part of Pacific Gas and Electric Company's performance
monitoring program for a Boeing
MOD-2 wind turbine located at the edge of Suisun Marsh in Solano County, California. Bird
mortality was monitored for one
year beginning in September 1982. As of January 1, 1983, five dead birds had been found at
the turbine site.
81. *Caldwell, L.D. and N.L. Cuthbert. 1963. Bird mortality at television towers
near Cadillac, Michigan. Jack-Pine
Warbler 41(2):80-89.
From 26 September to 16 October 1961, 812 birds (42 species) were collected at the
1,295-foot WWTV tower near
Cadillac, Michigan. A comparison other revealed the fall mortality to be most like the
kills reported from Nashville, Tennessee,
and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In spring 1962, 74 birds (27 species) were found at WWTV and
125 (36 species) were collected
from a nearby 1,130-foot tower. The species composition was markedly different from the
fall.
82. *Caldwell, L.D. and G.J. Wallace. 1966. Collections of migrating birds at
Michigan television towers. Jack-Pine
Warbler 44(3):117-123.
The spring and fall species composition of dead birds found from 1959 to 1964 at seven
sites are analyzed. Towers within 30
miles of each other had virtually the same species composition, while greater diversity of
species occurred between more
distant towers. Spring and fall species compositions were markedly different, possibly due
to different migration routes for
various species. Warblers and thrushes were the most common casualties.
83. *Carter, J.H., III, and J.F. Parnell. 1976. TV tower kills in eastern North
Carolina. Chat 40(1):1-9.
A large bird kill occurred in October 1970 (over 1,000 birds, 39 species) at the
1,994-foot WECT tower in North Carolina.
In fall 1971 and 1972, regular checks (after the passage of cold fronts and after mostly
cloudy nights) were made at WECT
and at the 1,188-foot tower 30 miles away. Losses in 1971 (2,683 birds) were typically
associated with the passage of cold
fronts when low ceilings and north winds prevailed. In 1972, cold fronts passed quickly
through the area and only 387
casualties were found. The authors note that many carcasses were no doubt overlooked in
the vegetation at the tower sites and
there was much evidence of predator/scavenger activity. A combined annotated species list
is given.
84. *Case, L.D., H. Cruickshank, A.E. Ellis, and W.F. White. 1965. Weather causes
heavy bird mortality. Florida
Naturalist 38(1):29-30.
In early October 1964, 4,707 birds (37 species) were killed by striking brightly lit
buildings, towers, cars, and other obstacles
in Florida. "Clouds of birds" were reported circling buildings. Weather
consisted of a low cloud ceiling, drizzle, and northerly
winds. Warblers accounted for 98.7 percent of the casualties.
85. Cassel, J.F., D.W. Kiel, J.J. Knodel, and J.M. Wiehe. 1979. Relation of birds
to certain power lines in central
North Dakota. Zoology Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo. Prepared for the
United Power
Association, Environment and Lands Division, Elk River, Minnesota. 50 pp.
Searches for dead birds were conducted under two 230-kV transmission lines in North
Dakota. One was an old line and the
other was recently relocated to a wetland/slough area. In fall 1977, 15 birds were found
at the old line; in spring 1978, 17 were
found at the old line and 21 at the new line; in fall 1978, 17 were found at the old line
and 30 at the new. Impacts of the two
lines are compared. The authors conclude that the new line "provides no greater
hazard" than the old. "Although birds flying in
the vicinity of the transmission lines studied did seem to be aware of the lines, the
lines seem to provide little threat to their
welfare."
86. *Chamberlain, B.R. 1955. Fall migration: southern Atlantic coast region.
Audubon Field Notes 9(1):17-18.
Heavy mortality at beacons, towers, ceilometers, and lighted windows was reported from
several southeastern (U.S.) cities in
October 1954. Red-eyed vireos and ovenbirds were the most common species.
87. *Chamberlain, B.R. 1957. Fall migration: southern Atlantic coast region.
Audubon Field Notes 11(1): 15-18.
About 2,500 birds, mostly warblers, were killed at the Chapel Hill, North Carolina, TV
tower on 28-29 September 1956.
88. *Chamberlain, B.R. 1958. Fall migration: southern Atlantic coast region.
Audubon Field Notes 12(1):19-21.
During fall 1957, over 1,100 birds (80 species) were killed at an Aiken, South Carolina,
tower. Smaller kills were reported
from Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina, and Camp Cornelia and Atlanta, Georgia.
89. *Chamberlain, B.R. 1961. Fall migration: southern Atlantic coast region.
Audubon Field Notes 15(1):23-26.
From 28 September to 2 October 1960, tower casualties in Charlotte, North Carolina,
exceeded 340 birds. Smaller kills were
reported during 8-17 October.
90. Clausen, B. and F. Gudmundsson. 1981. Causes of mortality among free-ranging
gyrfalcons in Iceland. Journal
of Wildlife Diseases 17(1):105-109.
Four dead gyrfalcons (of 38 studied at the Museum of Natural History in Reykjavik,
Iceland) were found under telephone lines
with fractured sternums or wings.
91. *Cochran, W.W. and R.R. Graber. 1958. Attraction of nocturnal migrants by
lights on a television tower.
Wilson Bulletin 70(4):378-380.
Counts of flight calls on two nights at a 984-foot tower near Champaign, Illinois,
indicated that migrants were concentrated in
the vicinity of the structure. Turning off the red warning lights on the tower eliminated
the aggregation. This article was the first
to provide any experimental evidence that nocturnal migrants actually congregate around
the red warning lights on towers.
92. *Coffey, B.B., Jr. 1964. Two bird kills at WMC-TV, Memphis. Migrant 35(2):53.
On 7 and 8 May 1961, 19 dead warblers and vireos (11 species) were collected at the WMC-TV
tower in Memphis,
Tennessee. A second incident involving 99 birds (21 species), including 57 red-eyed
vireos, occurred on 11 May 1964.
93. *Cohen, D.A., ed. 1896. California department. Osprey 1(1):15.
On 15 May, 14 red phalaropes and one ruddy duck were found dead near a telegraph line.
Autopsies indicated that the birds
had died from collisions with the overhead wire.
94. Colton, H.S. 1945. An unusual accident to a broad-tailed hummingbird. Plateau
18(15):15.
A broad-tailed hummingbird struck a radio aerial wire with great enough force to be stuck
by its bill. It died because it could
not escape from the tightly twisted copper wire strands. The incident, reported in
Flagstaff, Arizona, in 1944, most likely
occurred during a courtship flight.
95. Coon, N.C., L.N. Locke, E. Cromartie, and W.L. Reichel. 1970. Causes of bald
eagle mortality, 1960-1965.
Journal of Wildlife Diseases 6:72-76.
Of 55 bald eagles that died of injuries during this U.S. study, seven had impact injuries,
one was electrocuted, and 45 had been
shot.
96. Cornwell, G., and H.A. Hochbaum. 1971. Collisions with wires - a source of
anatid mortality. Wilson Bulletin
83(3):305-306.
A female pintail was found impaled on a barbed wire fence on 15 August 1966 in the Portage
la Prairie, Manitoba, Canada,
Community Pasture. An adult blue-winged teal drake was found in a barbed wire fence in
August 1966 in North Dakota.
Other incidences included a drake pintail entangled by the neck from two telephone wires
in July 1948 in Saskatchewan,
Canada, and a female blue-winged teal impaled on a barbed wire fence. The authors note
that barbed wire fences and
overhead wires commonly kill ducks, but such incidents are seldom reported. It is
recommended that barbed wire fences no
longer needed be "removed from publicly-owned waterfowl production marshes; and, when
overhead wires become a frequent
local source of mortality, they should be placed under-ground or moved." Also, siting
of fences and lines through marshes
needs to be reevaluated.
97. *Cornwell, G.W. 1968. Needless duck deaths. Conservation Catalyst 2(4):15-18.
Data of 2,000,000 examples of non-hunting-related waterfowl mortality (including collision
mortalities) in the U.S. and Canada
were compiled. About half of 3,000 non-hunting deaths were due to striking wires. The
author recommends that wires in areas
of high waterfowl use be buried.
98. *Cottam, C. 1929. A shower of grebes. Condor 31(1):80-81.
Hundreds of eared grebes died by striking wires, houses, and trees after being forced to
fly low in a snowstorm in Caliente,
Nevada, in December 1928.
99. Coues, E. 1876. The destruction of birds by telegraph wire. American
Naturalist 10(12):734-736.
In a three-mile stretch between Cheyenne, Wyoming, and Denver, Colorado, Coues counted
over 100 dead birds, mostly
horned larks, lying beneath the telegraph line. Three birds were actually seen striking
the wires. The larks exhibited some
hesitation and confusion in flight when flocks crossed the wires. The author states,
"Usually, a remedy has been or may be
provided for any unnecessary or undesirable destruction of birds; but there seems to be
none in this instance. Since we cannot
conveniently abolish the telegraph, we must be content with fewer birds."
100. Council of Europe. 1981. Birds in need of special protection in Europe.
Nature and Environment Series No. 24.
Strasbourg, France. 154 pp.
Widespread power line collision is mentioned as a reason for the decline of eagle owls
(Bubo bubo) in Europe. White storks
(Ciconia ciconia) are also prone to overhead wire collision. Both species are given
"vulnerable" status.
101. Craig, T.H. 1978. A car survey of raptors in southeastern Idaho 1974-1976.
Raptor Research 12(1/2):40-45.
A survey of raptors was conducted by car over a 187 km route in southeastern Idaho during
the non-nesting seasons from
November 1974 to May 1976. Rough-legged hawks were the most numerous observed, followed by
American kestrels and
golden eagles. Perched raptors were commonly seen on power poles: 75.1 percent of
rough-legged hawks, 94 percent of
prairie falcons, 80.4 percent of American kestrels, and 73.7 percent of golden eagles.
American kestrels preferred pole tops or
wires; most golden eagles preferred the tops and crossarms.
102. *Crawford, R.L. 1971. Predation on birds killed at TV tower. Oriole
36(4):33-35.
To test the effects of scavengers at the WCTV tower near Tallahassee, Florida, 157 marked
dead birds were placed out over
a period of five nights. The nightly loss of test birds to scavengers was between 64
percent and 100 percent. The author
concludes that serious attention must be paid to the predator/scavenger problem at towers
if meaningful data are to be
obtained.
103. *Crawford, R.L. 1974. Bird casualties at a Leon County, Florida TV tower:
October 1966-September 1973.
Tall Timbers Research Station Bulletin No. 18. Tallahassee, Florida. 27 pp.
During the seven years covered in this report, over 5,500 casualties and seven new species
were collected at the WCTV tower
in Florida, bringing the total losses to about 35,000 (177 species) in 18 years of
continuous monitoring. Monthly species lists
are given for the last seven years, and the total kill is presented by spring and fall
months for each year 1955-1973. Much of
this report is devoted to the problem of scavengers removing tower casualties. An
extensive literature review is included in the
introduction.
104. *Crawford, R.L. 1976. Some old records of TV tower kills from southwest
Georgia. Oriole 41(4): 45-51.
This article presents previously unreported data, originally collected by H.L. Stoddard,
Sr., and R.A. Norris, on bird losses at
the WALB and WRBL-WTVM towers in southwestern Georgia. On 28 visits to the WALB tower from
1959 to 1963, 613
birds (no total species count) were collected. Many of the carcasses were disturbed by
scavengers, and tall grass around the
station grounds made it impossible to find birds over much of the area. Frontal activity
and other weather conditions associated
with kills on 12-13 September 1959, 7-8 September 1962, and 17-18 October 1962 are
described. The species composition
between kills at WALB and WCTV in Tallahassee, Florida (about 80 km SW), were
significantly similar on the first two nights,
but not on the third. Species lists for the three dates at both towers are given. Two
kills were recorded at the WRBL-WTVM
tower: 18 birds on 23 April and 60 on 18 September 1962.
105. Crawford, R.L. 1978. Autumn bird casualties at a northwest Florida TV tower:
1973-1975. Wilson Bulletin
90(3):335-345.
In fall 1973, 261 individuals of 57 species were collected at the 308-meter WCTV tower at
Tall Timbers Research Station,
Leon County, Florida. The following fall, 1,832 dead birds (87 species) were gathered. In
1975, 1,771 of 90 species were
collected, totaling 3,864 individuals of 109 species for the three autumns. Age and sex
classes were noted. In 1974 and 1975,
a rigorous program of predator control was instituted.
106. *Cunningham, R.L. 1964a. Fall migration: Florida region. Audubon Field Notes
18(1):24-28.
In September 1963, in Leon County, Florida, the largest kill ever (no data given) at the
WFSU tower was reported. At the
WCTV tower, 735 birds, including 80 bobolinks, were killed.
107. *Cunningham, R.L. 1964b. Spring migration: Florida region. Audubon Field
Notes 18(4):442-446.
In Leon County, Florida, 207 birds, including 150 thrushes, were found dead at the WCTV
tower. The WFSU tower had
small mortality numbers during the spring.
108. *Cunningham, R.L. 1965. Fall migration: Florida region. Audubon Field Notes
19(1):28-33.
Following the drizzly, hazy night of 6 October 1964, 4,707 birds (37 species) were found
dead near the Indian River in
Florida, the result of low-flying birds striking buildings, headlights and windshields; 98
percent were warblers (1,354 common
yellowthroats and 322 blackpolls). Also, "moderate" bird kills were reported at
towers in Daytona Beach and St. Augustine.
Over 2,000 birds were killed during 6-8 October at two TV towers in Jacksonville; 95
percent of these fatalities were
warblers.
109. Dawson, B. 1974. Letting them go: great horned owls go to school. Museum Talk
48(2):45-48.
The Bird of Prey Survival Project at San Francisco Zoological Gardens has a ward with two
golden eagles, each with a wing
missing due to power line collision.
110. Dean, W.R.J. 1975. Martial eagles nesting on high tension pylons. Ostrich
46(1):116-117.
In the Kimberley area of the Cape Province, South Africa, martial eagles (Polemaetus
bellicosus) have been recorded as
nesting on high tension pylons. The nests were all in woodlands, although tree sites were
available. In the Ottoshoop area of the
western Transvaal, a tawny eagle (Aquila rapax) was recorded nesting on a high tension
pylon.
111. Dedon, M., S. Byrne, J. Aycrigg, and P. Hartman. 1989. Bird mortality in
relation to the Mare Island 115-kV
transmission line: progress report 1988/1989. Prepared by Technical and Ecological
Services. Prepared for
Department of the Navy, Western Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Office of
Environmental
Management, San Bruno, California. Report 443-89.3. 150 pp.
The area surrounding the 115-kV transmission line serving the Mare Island Naval Shipyard
in California was searched for
associated bird mortalities from August 1988 through June 1989. Scavenging and predation
biases are mentioned. During the
study, 242 birds were collected in the salt evaporation pond transect and 68 birds and one
bat were collected in the hay field
transect, totaling 43 species. Correcting for scavenging and habitat biases showed that
total estimated bird mortality associated
with the power line was 310 for the hay field transect and 724 for the salt pond transect.
The most common species collected
were ruddy duck, western sandpiper, black-bellied plover, western meadowlark, and
red-winged blackbird. A control transect
produced 80 specimens of 15 species. The authors conclude that the "numerous dead
birds found in this transect support the
conclusion that collision mortality represents a small amount of the total mortality of
the local bird populations." Overall mortality
was high at times of low visibility and low during periods of "unsettling
weather." Recommendations include improving sampling
techniques and using more objective search bias tests, more frequent scavenger tests, and
better vegetation control. A bird
flight pattern study is recommended to provide perspective for mortality information and
to learn which conductors contribute
most to collisions. Suggestions to reduce bird mortalities due to power line collisions
include the use of aerial markers, tree
planting adjacent to the transmission line, and undergrounding the power line.
112. Dedon, M., P. Hartman, S. Byrne, and S.A. Laymon. 1990. Bird mortality in
relation to the Mare Island
115-kV transmission line: progress report 1989/1990. Prepared by Technical and Ecological
Services. Prepared for
Department of the Navy, Western Division, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Office of
Environmental
Management, San Bruno, California. Report 443-90.4. 100 pp.
In the second year of monitoring at this California site, 259 birds (53 species) were
collected. Accounting for predation and
scavenging biases, 334 birds were estimated to be killed by the transmission line in the
hay field transect and 923 in the salt
pond transect. Species found most were black-bellied plover, ruddy duck, western
sandpiper, dunlin, savannah sparrow, and
western meadowlark, accounting for 54 percent of all identified specimens. Two black rails
(listed as threatened in California)
were found. During the day, passerines generally flew below the height of the lower
distribution lines and non-passerines flew
mostly above the 115-kV transmission line. The authors recommend continuing surveys and
implementing a study to assess the
effectiveness of power line markers for reducing bird collisions. This 115-kV line is
adjacent to wetlands frequented by birds.
113. Dennis, R. 1990. Birds and conservation problems of the high tops. North of
Scotland Royal Society for the
Protection of Birds (RSPB). Munlochy, Ross and Cromarty, Scotland. 4 pp.
Mountain birds of the "high tops" of Scotland include ptarmigan, dotterel, and
snow bunting. Ski developments threaten the best
habitats for the rarest birds. "The threats to birds can be direct, such as damage to
the environment and its vegetation, changes
in snowbed vegetation due to compaction, disturbance by large numbers of people and deaths
due to collisions with overhead
wires." The author feels that proposed projects for skiing expansion in the Cairngorm
National Nature Reserve be stopped to
protect the High Tops from further damage.
114. *Devitt, O.1967. The birds of Simcoe County, Ontario. Brereton Field
Naturalists' Club, Barrie, Ontario,
Canada. 190 pp.
Kills at the CKVR-TV tower at Barrie, Ontario, Canada, during 1960-67 are discussed. The
numbers of deaths seemed to
vary directly with the prevalence of fog and low ceiling during migration. In the seven
years covered, 2,632 dead birds (63
species) were collected. The majority killed were thrushes, warblers, flycatchers and
sparrows; a complete list is given.
115. Devlin, J.M. 1954. Effects of weather on nocturnal migration as seen from one
observation point at
Philadelphia. Wilson Bulletin 66(2):93-101.
Three hundred avian migrants were killed on the night of 21-22 September 1953 when they
crashed against the Empire State
Building in New York City. The author notes that this event illustrates what happens if
migrants on a following wind meet a
warm front with strong southerly winds and are forced to fly very low under the frontal
slope.
116. *Dickinson, L.E. 1957. Utilities and birds. Audubon Magazine 59(2):54-55,
86-87.
The author reviews the problem of bird strikes and electrocutions at power lines in the
U.S. and cites examples of solutions to
particular situations.
117. *Dilger, W.C. 1954. Electrocution of parakeets at Agra, India. Condor
56(2):102-103.
Rose-ringed parakeets were frequently electrocuted on power lines at an Army base at Agra,
India, in the 1940s.
118. *d'Ombrain, A.F. 1945. Migratory birds and overhead wires. Emu 45(2):173-174.
Migrating shorebirds "become mystified by the bright city lights" which cause
them to fly lower than usual, resulting in collisions
with overhead wires. Two instances of mortality in Australia are recounted.
119. Drager, T. and J. Linthicum, eds. 1985. Peregrine falcon wild nest
management, hack sites, and cross-foster
operations. Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group. University of California, Santa
Cruz.
A female peregrine falcon was reported to have collided with a power line. No apparent
injury resulted.
120. *Drewien, R.1973. Ecology of Rocky Mountain greater sandhill cranes.
Dissertation. University of Idaho,
Moscow. 82 pp.
Collisions with power lines accounted for 37 percent of the observed sandhill crane
mortality in the population that was studied
in the western U.S.
121. *Dunbar, R.J. 1954. Bird mortality - Oak Ridge. Migrant 25(4):63-64.
On the morning of 7 October, 1954, about 1,000 birds (22 species) were found dead on a
parking lot at Oak Ridge,
Tennessee. Losses were attributed to collisions with overhead power lines, light towers,
cars, and pavement. Most carcasses
were found beneath the parking lot lights.
122. Dunstan, T.C. 1968. Breeding success of osprey in Minnesota from 1963 to
1968. Loon (Dec.):109-112.
The author discusses contributing factors of osprey mortality in Minnesota. Osprey
sometimes nest on utility poles at the
crossbars. A nestling and an adult were found electrocuted at two different nest sites.
123. Dunstan, T.C., J.H. Harper, and K.B. Phipps. 1978. Final report: habitat use
and hunting strategies of prairie
falcons, red-tailed hawks, and golden eagles. Prepared for U.S. Bureau of Land Management,
Denver, Colorado.
Contract 52500-CT5-1013. 177 pp.
Still-hunting from utility and power line poles and crossbars, trees, fence posts, shrubs,
rocks, and the ground was the most
extensively used prey-search technique for prairie falcons, red-tailed hawks, and golden
eagles during the study.
124. *Eaton, S.W. 1967. Recent tower kills in upstate New York. Kingbird
17(3):142-147.
Bird mortality from collisions with towers on the Allegheny Plateau in New York is
discussed, including a list of 57 species
found dead during 1956. The author estimates that 10,000 songbirds are killed annually
from tower collision in the area.
125. Edeburn, R.M. 1973. Great horned owl impaled on barbed wire. Wilson Bulletin
85(4):478.
A great horned owl was found dead, impaled at the base of its left wing on a barbed wire
fence, in summer 1972 in Mercer,
Pennsylvania.
126. *Edscorn, J.B. 1974. The fall migration: Florida region. American Birds
28(1):40-44.
The unusually low kill at the WCTV tower near Tallahassee, Florida, in fall 1973 was
attributed to very clear weather.
127. *Edscorn, J.B. 1975. The fall migration: Florida region. American Birds
29(1):44-48.
Included among the fall 1974 casualties at the WCTV tower in Florida were 971 birds on the
night of 17 October.
128. *Elder, W.H. and J. Hansen. 1967. Bird mortality at KOMU-TV tower, Columbia,
Missouri, fall 1965 and
1966. Bluebird 34(1):3-7.
A list of 851 dead birds (36 species) found in fall 1965 and 1966 at KOMU-TV, Columbia,
Missouri, is given, with age and
sex data on seven species from 1966. Some comparisons with data from other towers are
included.
129. Electric Power Research Institute. 1982. Prevention of golden eagle
electrocution. EPRI EA-2680, Project
1002 Final Report. Palo Alto, California. 90 pp.
Eagle electrocutions were documented in six western United States by examining carcasses
found below power lines; of the
416 birds found, 82.5 percent were golden eagles. This report analyzes species and age of
electrocuted birds, temporal
occurrences, abundance of raptors, raptor prey, vegetation, topography, soil, weather, and
other related factors. "Measures
found to lower incidences of eagle electrocution include routing lines around preferred
prey habitat, locating power lines in
topographically low areas, and insulating conductors on corner and transformer
poles."
130. Elkins, N. 1988. Weather and bird behavior. Second edition. T. & A.D.
Poyser, Calton, Staffordshire, England.
239 pp.
Bird mortality caused by inclement weather and collision with power lines and other
structures is briefly discussed. "This
happens most frequently to nocturnal migrants in dense fog or cloud accompanied by
precipitation. The refraction and reflection
of light by water droplets increase the sphere of illumination and confuse the
migrants.... The effects of adverse weather are
more pronounced for birds that are deformed, injured, diseased, or heavily parasitized,
and these individuals are invariably the
first to die in a stress situation. Resistance of healthy birds may be lowered by sudden
and large temperature changes. There is
evidence of a sex difference in the ability to resists these changes; females appear to be
hardier, particularly in polygamous
species."
131. Ellis, D.H., J.G. Goodwin, Jr., and J.R. Hunt. 1978. Wildlife and electric
power transmission. In: J.L. Fletcher
and R.G. Busnel, eds. Effects of noise on wildlife. Academic Press, Inc., New York. 305
pp.
Electrocution is noted as a significant cause of eagle mortality in the western U.S. and
of the cape vulture (Gyps coprothers) in
southern Africa. Ravens, eagles, hawks, and occasionally other birds use local power line
towers for nest sites. Wild turkeys
(Meleagris gallopavo) heavily utilize towers and even conductors as roost sites in west
Texas. The authors recommend that
key locations where birds are especially vulnerable (e.g., mountain passes along important
migration corridors) should be
avoided in siting power lines. Problem areas need to be identified and corrected.
132. Ellis, D.H., D.G. Smith, and J.R. Murphy. 1969. Studies on raptor mortality
in western Utah. Great Basin
Naturalist 29(3):165-167.
The majority of raptor mortalities are from shootings. A significant number can also be
attributed to power line electrocution.
133. Eltringham, S.K. 1963. The British population of the mute swan in 1961. Bird
Study 10(1):10-28.
Power disruption and mortality of mute swans in Britain are discussed. The author
recommends re-siting the cables away from
regular swan routes and increasing cable visibility in order to reduce collisions and
power black-outs.
134. Emerson, W.O. 1904. Destruction of birds by wires. Condor 6(1):37.
The author discusses power line collision mortality of shorebirds and a black rail in the
San Francisco Bay area, particularly in
salt marshes and evaporating ponds, noting "the disastrous effect upon bird life of
numerous telephone, telegraph, and electric
power wires strung along highways" and across lines of migration or favorite paths to
feeding grounds. The death of a great
horned owl on a barbed wire fence is noted.
135. Enderson, J.H. and M.N. Kirven. 1979. Peregrine falcon foraging study in the
geysers: Calistoga known
geotheral resource area, Sonoma County, California. Prepared for the U.S. Bureau of Land
Management.
Prepared by Department of Biology, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado. 17 pp.
Power transmission lines are a hazard to peregrine falcons because their attack dives may
exceed 150 mph. "Collisions with
wires are well-known: at least six occurred in California in recent years ... and in 1978
in Colorado a young Peregrine struck a
power line 2 km from its eyrie and suffered a broken wing."
136. Estep, J.A. 1989. Avian mortality at large wind energy facilities in
California: identifica- tion of a problem.
California Energy Commission, Sacramento. P700-89-001. 30 pp.
Avian mortality data resulting from collision or electrocution with wind energy-related
structures were solicited and compiled
from a variety of sources in 1988. The incidents occurred between November 1984 and April
1988 at Altamont Pass and
Tehachapi Pass, California. One hundred eight raptors of seven species were reported.
Causes of mortality, injuries, age class,
season, and other results are discussed.
137. Faanes, C.A. 1987. Bird behavior and mortality in relation to power lines in
prairie habitats. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service. Fish and Wildlife Technology Report 7. 24 pp.
In this study of two spring and two fall migration periods between July 1980 and May 1982,
633 birds were found dead
beneath 9.6 km of power lines. The total kill was estimated at 1,332 birds, with higher
mortality rates during the fall migration.
Overhead ground wires were responsible for most of the deaths. Diving ducks appeared to
experience fewer problems near
power lines than dabbling ducks. While none of the observed mortality was considered
biologically significant at the sites
studied, the cumulative effect of avian collision mortality may be important, particularly
to populations of rare or endangered
birds. Power lines 400 m or more from the edge of the water generally had lower observed
mortality than sites with closer
lines. Avian mortality in riparian habitat may increase when power lines are at or below
the forest canopy, probably due to
decreased visibility.
138. *Farnham, C.B., Jr. 1971. Snipe impaled on cable. Kingbird 21(1):10-11.
In New York, a common snipe died when its lower mandible pierced the insulation of a
telephone wire and could not get free.
139. *Feehan, J. 1963. Destruction of birdlife in Minnesota - Sept. 1963. Birds
killed at the Ostrander television
tower. Flicker 35(4):111-112.
A list of 1,250 birds (28 species) killed in Minnesota on a cloudy night in September 1963
is presented.
140. Ferrer, M. and M. De La Riva. 1987. Impact of power lines on the
population of birds of prey in the Donana
National Park and its environment. Mediterranean Birds of Prey III. National Institute of
Game Biology 12.
(English summary.)
This study took place in the marshes of the Guadalquivir River in southern Spain from 1982
to 1983. Mortality variations
throughout the year were reported along 100 km of power lines in this area, which has
great importance as one of the last
refuges of the Spanish imperial eagle. More than 100 birds of prey carcasses (13 species)
were collected including Aquila
adalberti, Gyps fulvus, and Circaetus gallicus. Because 70 percent or so of the bodies
were lost before recovery, the actual
number of raptor mortalities could reach 400 per year. Factors influencing the death rate
include precipitation, wind, relative
humidity, landscape characteristics, pattern of utility towers, and position of
insulators. Electrocution was shown to be one of
the main causes of imperial eagle mortality.
141. Ferrer, M., M. De La Riva, and J. Castroviejo. 1991. Electrocution of raptors
onpower lines in southwestern
Spain. Journal of Field Ornithology 62(2):181-190. (English summary.)
A study conducted at Donana National Park in Spain revealed that within a 100 km sector of
power lines, 233 dead raptors
(13 species) were found. It is estimated that about 400 raptors per year die along this
section of lines. Deaths from wire
collision accounted for 2.8 percent of the total mortality during the study. Electrocution
is the primary known cause of death for
the endangered Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti). Mortality rates differed with
changes in habitat quality. Those areas
with more human-altered habitat exhibited lower mortality rates from electrocution, while
areas with more natural habitat
exhibited higher rates. The authors recommend the use of suspended insulators so that the
wing tips of a perched bird cannot
contact both phases at once. "[O]n metal pylons the position of insulators is an
extremely critical factor affecting raptor mortality
rates."
142. *Fisher, H.I. 1966. Midway's deadly antennas. Audubon Magazine 68(4):220-223.
The effects of numerous antennas and guy cables on Midway Island's colony of Laysan
albatrosses are discussed. At least
2,901 were killed in a 7-month period. Damage to other species is also mentioned.
143. *Fisher, H.I. 1970. The death of Midway's antennas. Audubon Magazine
72(1):62-63.
Antennas on Midway Island were responsible for the deaths of more than 3,000 Laysan
albatrosses in 1964 and 1965. Avian
collision deaths stopped after the antennas were removed.
144. *Fitzner, R.E. 1975. Owl mortality on fences and utility lines. Raptor
Research 9(3/4):55-57.
In Washington and Idaho during the winter of 1973-74, the author found one great horned
owl and one short-eared owl
impaled on barbed wire fences and two short-eared owls hanging from overhead utility
wires.
145. Fitzner, R.E., W.H. Rickard, L.L. Cadwell, and L.E. Rogers. 1981. Raptors of
the Hanford site and nearby
areas of southcentral Washington. Prepared by Pacific Northwest Laboratory, Richland,
Washington. Prepared for
the Department of Energy and Rockwell Hanford Operations. Contract DE-AC06-76RLO 1830. 61
pp.
At Hanford, Washington, red-tailed hawks nested principally in utility towers 30 to 100
feet high. Fifty-two percent of nesting
pairs observed in 1978 nested on transmission towers.
146. **Flegg, J.J.M. and C.J. Cox. 1975. Mortality in the black-headed gull.
British Birds 68(11):437-449.
During four periods between 1908 and 1972, the percentage of ringed gulls recovered
"dead under wires" varied from 2.1
(1908-1924) to 3.9 (1953-1968) (percentage of total recovery). Of birds banded as
nestlings in Britain and Ireland during
1967-1974, 5.7 percent of the juveniles (6 months old and less) and 4.5 percent of the
adults recovered were killed striking
wires.
147. **Flegg, J.J.M. and R.A. Morgan. 1976. Mortality in British gulls. Ringing
and Migration 1(2):65-74.
The recoveries of six species of gull banded as nestlings in Britain and Ireland during
1967-1973 are analyzed. The category
"found dead" accounted for about 70 percent of the total recoveries. Collision
with overhead wires was responsible for
appreciable losses among all species except the common gull which suffered considerable
mortality due to vehicle collision.
148. Fredrickson, L.H. 1983. Bird response to transmission lines at a Mississippi
river crossing. Transactions of
the Missouri Academy of Science 17:129-140.
Bird response to a 138-kV power transmission facility was monitored near Wittenberg,
Missouri, from October to May, 1973
to 1975. Of 132,911 birds flying past the facility, no dead or injured birds were
collected nor were any collisions recorded.
Only six birds flew close enough to the wires to have their movement classed as near
collision; 65 percent of the birds flew at a
distance greater than 15 m from the wires. Blackbirds were the most common bird during the
study. "The residency status of
birds, visibility, disturbance, and habitat are suggested as important factors that may be
related to injury or collision."
149. *Ganier, A.F. 1962. Bird casualties at a Nashville TV tower. Migrant
33(4):58-60.
Three incidents at the 1,369-foot WSM-TV tower in Nashville, Tennessee, in fall 1962
resulted in losses of 301 birds (39
species) and 2 red bats. Weather data are included.
150. Garzon, J. 1977. Birds of prey in Spain: the present situation. Pages 159-170
in: R.D. Chancellor, ed.
Proceedings of World Conference on Birds of Prey, International Council for Bird
Preservation, Vienna, Austria,
1-3 October 1975.
The greatest threat to birds of prey in Spain is from overhead cables.
151. Gauthreaux, S.A., Jr. 1985. Radar, electro-optical, and visual methods of
studying bird flight near transmission
lines. Prepared by Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina. Prepared for Electric
Power Research Institute,
Palo Alto, California. EPRI EA-4120. 76 pp.
Current and future energy projections to fulfill growing demand indicate that there will
be an increase in the miles of power lines
erected in the United States. There is concern about the extent of the environmental
impact of new lines on avian wildlife,
particularly in the area of bird flight behavior and collision mortality. "A lack of
data and the abundance of speculation on the
impact of transmission lines has resulted in costly delays, route changes, and refusal of
permits for line construction projects."
The purpose of this study is to provide information on the accuracy and usefulness of
equipment (radar and electro-optical
instruments) in assessing bird flight behavior and collision rates near transmission
lines. Visual methods are also considered as
possible study strategies.
152. *George, W. 1963. Columbia tower fatalities. Bluebird 30(4):5.
On the nights of 20 and 21 September 1963, 941 birds (46 species) were killed at the
KOMU-TV tower, Columbia,
Missouri. A species list is given.
153. *Gerstenberg, R.H. 1972. A study of shorebirds (Charadrii) in Humboldt Bay,
California, 1968 to 1969.
Thesis. California State University, Humboldt. 207 pp.
More than 150 northern phalaropes were killed on 6 May 1969 by striking electric wires
along the coast near Trinidad,
California. Similar incidents, involving fewer birds, occurred on 6 May 1967 and 7 May
1971.
154. Gillard, R. 1977. Unnecessary electrocution of owls. Blue Jay 35(4):259.
The author reports two great horned owl electrocution mortalities found at the same
utility pole in Canada, one in August 1972
and the other in July 1975. Anotherstudy is referenced where 13 electrocuted great horned
owls were reported. The author
recommends that the Saskatchewan Power Corporation follow the U.S. example of pole
modifications to reduce the numbers
of avian deaths and power outages.
155. Gilmer, D.S. and J.M. Wiehe. 1977. Nesting by ferruginous hawks and other
raptors on high voltage powerline
towers. Prairie Naturalist (March):1-10.
Aerial searches for raptor nests were conducted in spring 1976 along U.S. Bureau of
Reclamation 230-kV towers in North
Dakota. Ferruginous hawks (21 total, twelve successful nests), red-tailed hawks (five
total, three successful nests), and great
horned owls (three total, two successful nests) were observed. Most ferruginous hawk nests
were constructed in the center of
the tower where horizontal steel support members crossed at right angles; most red-tailed
hawk nests were constructed near
the tops of towers. Several nests were blown out of structures by the wind.
156. Glue, D.E. 1971. Ringing recovery circumstances of small birds of prey. Bird
Study 18(3):137-146.
This study presents findings on analysis "of recovery details of those five British
birds of prey ringed in greatest numbers" -
kestrel, tawny owl, little owl, barn owl, and sparrowhawk. Kestrels were more prone to
collisions with overhead wires, cables,
and buildings than were barn, tawny, and little owls. There was a 3.3 percent mortality
rate of band recoveries of the five
species from telephone wire or cable collision. A higher percentage of collisions occurred
in diurnal species such as kestrels due
to hunting methods.
157. *Gollop, M.A. 1965. Bird migration collision casualties at Saskatoon. Blue
Jay 23(1):15-17.
During 1961-64, at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, 543 dead birds and one red bat were
collected at several towers, and
15 dead birds were collected beneath power lines. Species lists are provided.
158. Goodland, R. 1973. Ecological perspectives of power transmission. Pages 1-35
in: R. Goodland, ed.
Proceedings of Biotic Management along Power Transmission Rights- of-Way colloquium,
American Institute of
Biological Science annual meeting, Amherst, Massachusetts, 21 June 1973. Prepared by The
Cary Arboretum of
the New York Botanical Gardens, Millbrook, New York.
Goodland discusses the magnitude of the problem of ecological effects of power
transmission, advance regional planning, and
tower sitings. He emphasizes that "wetland crossings, streams, and waterings merit
special care because they are fragile
ecosystems in which apparently minor damage may cause major effects."
159. Goodland Daily News. Nov. 5, 1965. Rare whooping crane is found dead near
Atwood. Goodland Daily News,
Kansas 33(234):1.
A 15-pound whooping crane with a seven-foot wingspan was found dead in a wheat field near
Atwood, Kansas. "The only
mark on the bird ... was an abrasion on one leg. Death probably resulted from a broken
neck when it struck the power line."
160. *Goodpasture, K.A. 1974a. Fall 1972 television tower casualties in Nashville.
Migrant 45(2):29-31.
At the WSM and WSIX towers in Nashville, Tennessee, 556 dead birds (58 species) were
collected in fall 1972, the lowest
fall total since 1967. The kills were associated with low ceilings and the passage of cold
fronts. On 18 October, 141 birds were
found dead at the WSM tower, but none were recorded at WSIX on that date. Complete species
lists are given.
161. *Goodpasture, K.A. 1974b. Fall 1973 television tower casualties in Nashville.
Migrant 45(3):57-59.
Almost daily checks of the WSM and WSIX towers in Nashville, Tennessee, in September and
October 1973 resulted in 165
dead birds found (42 species), the lowest seasonal total since regular monitoring began.
Weather was generally mild throughout
the fall. Following a clear night, 49 dead birds were collected on 6 October. The WSM
tower had recently been painted bright
orange and the guy wires were painted with aluminum paint, but it is doubtful if this had
any effect on the kill. Lists of the losses
are given.
162. *Goodpasture, K.A. 1975. Nashville tower casualties, 1974. Migrant
46(3):49-51.
A new low (123 birds, 34 species) in fall casualties was recorded at the WSM and WNGE
(formerly WSIX) towers in
Nashville, Tennessee. As in fall 1973, the weather was "without notable nocturnal
violence or stormy force." No clear
explanation of the low kills in 1973 and 1974 was obvious, but increased scavenger
activity may have been partly responsible.
A kill of about 700 birds on 15 September was reported at a tower in Decatur, Alabama.
Lists of the Nashville kills are given.
163. *Goodpasture, K.A. 1976. Nashville television tower casualties, 1975. Migrant
47(1):8-10.
Casualties numbered 513 (53 species) at the WSM and WNGE towers in Nashville, Tennessee,
in fall 1975. The weather was
generally mild, with fronts of low intensity. Warblers (22 species) accounted for
two-thirds of the losses. Cats were noticeable
scavengers. A complete kill list is given.
164. Goodpasture, K.A. 1978. Television tower casualties, 1976. Migrant
49(3):53-54.
In September and October 1976, 406 dead birds (43 species) were collected at two towers in
Nashville, Tennessee.
Ovenbirds had the highest count (63), followed by magnolia and bay-breasted warblers.
165. *Goodwin, C.E. 1975. The winter season: Ontario region. American Birds
29(1):48-57.
During fall 1974, kills at the Lennox power plant chimney and the Barrie and London TV
towers in Ontario, Canada, totalled
7,550 birds. Red-eyed vireos (1129), ovenbirds (1038), and magnolia warblers (920) were
the species most commonly killed.
166. *Goodwin, C.E. and R.C. Rosche. 1971. The fall migration: Ontario. American
Birds 25(1):49-54.
On the night of 13 September 1970, "extensive casualties" (mostly ovenbirds and
other warblers) were recorded at London,
Ontario, TV towers, and 136 birds were killed at the 1,000-foot Toronto-Dominion Centre.
167. Goodwin, J.G., Jr. 1975. Big game movement near a 500-kV transmission line in
northern Idaho. Prepared for
Bonneville Power Administration, Engineering and Construction Division, Portland, Oregon.
56 pp.
The potential for bird electrocution at a transmission line in Idaho is discussed. While
electrocution of large raptors is a problem
on low voltage lines (below 115 kV) due to the close spacing of conductors, wider
conductor spacing on high voltage lines
(such as this 500-kV transmission line in northern Idaho) "corrects this
problem." Towers supporting these lines may be
beneficial as nesting sites. Although birds observed flying near the conductors on a
500-kV line encountered no problems, the
author observed a near collision between a Canada goose and the ground wire running above
the conductors.
168. Gosselin, M. 1978. The winter season: Quebec region. American Birds
32(3):324-326.
On December 3, 1977, a lesser black-backed gull was found dead below power lines in
Quebec, Canada.
169. Goulty, C.A. 1988. Birds and power lines: a bibliography. Council of Planning
Librarians Bibliography No. 219.
Chicago, Illinois. 11 pp.
This bibliography contains 143 international listings on birds and utility lines and was
prepared specifically "as a reference work
for transmission route planning engineers[,] operation and maintenance engineers of
electric utilities, ornithologists, and all those
concerned and interested in the routing of power lines."
170. Graber, R.R. 1968. Nocturnal migration in Illinois: different points of view.
Wilson Bulletin 80(1):36-71.
This is an extensive analysis of nocturnal migration using radar, aural recordings, field
observations, and tower kills. The kills
occurred near Champaign, Illinois, in late September from 1957 to 1962 and totalled 1,500
birds (41 species). Complete lists
of kills are given, and the nature of bird mortality at towers is discussed.
171. *Graham, R. 1916. Carolina rail accidentally killed. Oologist 33(11):187.
A sora was found dead in Ft. Worth, Texas, evidently killed by striking a telephone wire.
172. *Green, J.C. 1963. Destruction of birdlife in Minnesota - Sept. 1963. Notes
on kills at Duluth on September
18/19. Flicker 35(4):112-113.
At the Duluth, Minnesota, ceilometer, 92 birds (17 species) were killed. The light was
turned off to prevent further losses.
Casualties totalled 35 (12 species) at the WDSM tower.
173. *Green, J.C. 1964. Fall migration: western Great Lakes region. Audubon Field
Notes 18(1):33-34, 39-42.
During 18-20 September 1963, extraordinary numbers of migrating birds passed through the
Minnesota-Wisconsin area. At an
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, tower, over 10,000 birds (45 species) were collected; total
mortality was estimated at over 30,000. At
Ostrander, Minnesota, an estimated 1,500 birds died based on 250 actually collected. In
Lewisville, Minnesota, 924 birds (47
species) were collected, and about 100 more were killed at a ceilometer in Duluth. A
slow-moving cold front with overcast
skies was associated with these incidents.
174. *Gregory, H. 1975. Unusual fall tower kill. Bluebird 42(4):9-10.
On the night of 14 October 1975, over 98 birds (20 species) were killed at four towers in
Missouri and Kansas. The KCMO
tower in Kansas City, Missouri, accounted for 67 casualties including 32 mourning doves.
The incidents were unusual because
KCMO is free-standing (i.e., no guy wires) and the cloud ceiling was rather high
(5,000-10,000 feet). A listing of casualties by
tower is given.
175. Gretz, D.I. 1981. Power line entanglement hazard to raptors. U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, Denver, Colorado.
9 pp.
In Colorado, a ferruginous hawk and a golden eagle were evidently killed by electrocution
after their talons became entangled
in some loosely wrapped wires holding a power line to an insulator. The author felt that
power line entanglement could be a
significant mortality factor for raptors. Entanglement problems could be corrected by
tightly rewrapping the wire holding the
power line to the insulator and installing a cover (split plastic tube) over the wrapping
on each side of the insulator.
176. *Griepentrog, E.A. 1929. Wire mortalities. Oologist 46(2):24.
In Oregon during 1926-28, the author noted several instances of bird collisions with
telephone wires and barbed-wire fences.
Species that struck telephone wires included common snipe, western gull, and mourning
dove, while a gray partridge and an
American robin struck barbed-wire fences.
177. Grosse, H. and W. Sykora. 1980. Eine 220-kV-Hochspannungstrasse im
Uberspannungsgebiet der Talsperre
Windischleuba war Vogelfalle. Falke 27(6):247-248. (In German; not translated.)
178. Haas, D. 1980. Endangerment of our large birds by electrocution: a
documentation. Okol. Vogel (Ecology of
Birds) 2:7-57.
Between 1934 and 1980, the population of white storks in Germany decreased by 78.5
percent. More storks died from
overhead lines than from any other cause. The number of mortalities increased over the
years: 1937 to 1967, 251 victims;
1971-1979, 335 victims. Analysis indicated that 84 percent of the accidents were caused by
ground leakage on the pylons and
16 percent by collision against power lines and/or arcing contact.
179. *Hall, G.A. 1966. Fall migration: Appalachian region. Audubon Field Notes
20(1):41-45.
Several incidents were reported in fall 1965. A TV tower near Charleston, West Virginia,
"produced a steady number of dead
birds." On the foggy night of 24 September, "over a truckload" were killed
at a microwave relay tower and a gasoline
compressor station atop a mountain near Buckhannon, West Virginia. On 1 October, over
1,800 dead birds were found at a
ski resort near Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
180. *Hall, G.A. 1968. Fall migration: Appalachian region. Audubon Field Notes
22(1):37-40.
On 7 October 1967, 380 birds (42 species) were killed at a tower atop a ridge near St.
Alban's, West Virginia.
181. *Hall, G.A. 1975. The fall migration: Appalachian region. American Birds
29(1):57-61.
In fall 1974, tower kills were reported from Knoxville, Tennessee (no data), and
Youngstown, Ohio (268 birds).
182. *Hall, G.A. 1976. The fall migration: Appalachian region. American Birds
30(1):67-71.
In fall 1975, 1,031 dead birds were collected at a Youngstown, Ohio, TV tower and 364 were
found at a Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, tower. Near Morgantown, West Virginia, a small kill occurred at a
mountaintop fire tower. There was partial
correspondence between the tower kills and other migration indicators, such as banding
results.
183. *Hall, G.A. 1977. The autumn migration: Appalachian region. American Birds
31(2):176-179.
About 200 birds died at the Youngstown, Ohio, tower in fall 1976, and a kill was reported
(no data) at a Morgantown, West
Virginia, fire tower on 3 October.
184. Hallinan, T. 1922. Bird interference on high tension electric transmission
lines. Auk 39:573.
A turkey vulture, Florida crow, and loggerhead shrike were electrocuted while resting on
insulators and metal crossarms of
transmission lines in South Jacksonville, Florida, causing flashovers.
185. Hamerstrom, F.N., Jr., B.E. Harrell, and R.R. Olendorff, eds. 1974.
Management of raptors -- proceedings of
the conference on raptor conservation techniques, Fort Collins, Colorado, 22-24 March
1973. Part 4. Raptor
Research Foundation, Inc., Raptor Research Report No. 2.
Excerpts from these raptor conference proceedings include comments on electrocution risk
and the use of internal fuses on
power poles to decrease power outages. Electrocution risk can increase following a heavy
wet snowstorm due to the grounding
of poles and wires. Raptor concentration in certain hunting areas may increase after a
snowstorm, further increasing the risk of
electrocution. It is recommended that utilities determine the high problem areas and
concentrate on remedies for those poles.
186. *Hannum, G., W. Anderson, and M. Nelson. 1974. Power lines and birds of prey.
Paper presented at
Northwest Electric Light and Power Association. Wilson Bulletin 85(4):478.
The Idaho Power Company's program to reduce power line electrocutions of birds of prey is
presented, including sketches of
design changes for safer poles and conductors.
187. Harris, R.D. 1988. Memo to R. Jurek of California Department of Fish and
Game: report of a Golden Eagle
mortality. LSA, Pt. Richmond, California. 2 pp.
This memo reports a golden eagle death by power line.
188. Harrison, J. 1963. Heavy mortality of mute swans from electrocution. Wildfowl
Trust 14th Annual
Report:164-165.
During a two-month period in spring 1962, 30 percent of local swan flocks (21 birds) in
Romney Marsh, Kent, England, were
killed along 1/4 mile of power lines 30 feet high. No distinction is made between deaths
by electrocution or collision. The lines
cross between feeding and roosting habitat.
189. *Harwin, R.M. 1971. White stork: longevity record. Ostrich 42(1):81.
In Rhodesia, a white stork struck a power line and died in November 1969, 17 years after
it had been banded as a nestling.
190. *Hatch, D.R.M. 1966. Fall migration: northern Great Plains region. Audubon
Field Notes 20(1):61-64.
Mention is made of "large kills" of warblers, thrushes, and sparrows at TV
towers in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, in late
September 1965.
191. Haussler, R.B. 1988. Avian mortality at wind turbine facilities in
California. California Energy Commission,
Sacramento. 7 pp.
Data obtained by the California Energy Commission indicates that bird collisions and
electrocutions are occurring at wind
turbine facilities in California. Most documented incidents are due to collision and are
from the Altamont Pass area in Alameda
County. "Because there is concern over stability of raptor populations, ways to avoid
and reduce losses must be incorporated
into [hu]man's development activities....Each wind resource area should be considered
specifically to determine (1) the
significance of ongoing effects, (2) potential for adverse effects due to future
development, and (3) the potential to mitigate
and/or avoid adverse effects upon avian populations in the future."
192. Heijnis, R. 1976. Ornithological mortality and environmental aspects of
aboveground high tension lines.
Biological Environmental Research, the Netherlands. 166 pp.
Heijnis remarks that the number of bird deaths from power lines is not excessive but could
be significant. Birds living under
marginal conditions, due to continual pressures from a number of unfavorable factors
could, from a population-dynamic
standpoint, be threatened by high tension lines. The author recommends incorporating
underground wiring into structural
projects or placing all wires at one horizontal level with various marker attachments.
193. Heijnis, R. 1980. Bird mortality from collision with conductors for maximum
tension. Okol. Vogel (Ecology of
Birds) 2, Sonderheft 1980:111-129. (English summary.)
The study site in Holland is located at the Nature Reserves Westzijderveld and de Reef, a
wetland area with a high density of
wading birds and waterfowl. Collisions occurred more often under conditions of
panic-caused flight, changing visibility of the
wires, and windy and rainy weather. Most victims were found at night (33 percent) and at
dawn and twilight (23 and 29
percent, respectively). Estimated calculations for the study area show 4,000 wire victims
per year per kilometer (150- and
380-kV conductors). The author found that the use of strips and plastic spirals to
increase wire visibility brought little or no
results; however, silhouettes of raptors made from plastic which were visible in poor
light proved to be successful in deterring
birds from lines.
194. *Hendrickson, J.R. 1949. A hummingbird casualty. Condor 51:103.
During an aerial display, a male Allen's hummingbird struck a telephone wire and was
killed in California.
195. **Herbert, A.D. 1970. Spatial disorientation in birds. Wilson Bulletin
82(4):400-419.
The author proposes that bird collisions with human-made lighted structures occur when the
birds become spatially disoriented
within a bright light because of the loss of true visual cues to the horizontal. The light
source may be either a direct beam, such
as an airport ceilometer, or the refracted and reflected light from the aircraft warning
lights on tall towers during rainy, misty
weather. The author illustrates his theory using the case of 58 blackburnian warblers that
were killed flying into brightly lit
buildings at a Royal Canadian Air Force Base in September 1961 and published accounts by
various authors in the literature.
196. *Herndon, L.R. 1973. Bird kill on Holston Mountain. Migrant 44(1):1-4.
At two installations near Elizabethton, Tennessee, 1,801 birds (44 species) were killed by
colliding with floodlit buildings and
two small (125 and 85 feet) towers. The weather was foggy with northwesterly winds on 30
September and 1 October 1972
when the losses occurred. A kill list is given.
197. *Herren, H. 1969. The status of the peregrine falcon in Switzerland. Pages
231-238 in: J. Hickey. Peregrine
falcon populations: their biology and decline. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison,
Wisconsin.
Of 14 dead peregrine falcons examined between 1952 and 1965, five had collided with wires.
Overhead wires are the main
cause of eagle owl fatalities and have contributed to the extermination of the species in
much of its former range in Switzerland.
198. *Heye, P.L. 1963. Tower fatalities. Bluebird 30(1):7.
Over 300 birds (47 species) are listed from the kill at the KFVS-TV tower in Cape
Girardeau, Missouri, during fall 1962.
199.*Hiltunen, E. 1953. On electric and telephone wire accidents in birds.
Suomen Riista 8:70-76, 222-223. (In Finnish; English
summary.)
Capercallie, black grouse, and other game birds were killed in wire collisions
primarily in the fall when fog and rain
were frequent. Of 225 observed strikes, 76.8 percent were fatal. Over 76 percent of the
accidents occurred at twilight.
200. Hobbs, J.C.A. and J.A. Ledger. 1986. Powerlines, birdlife and the golden
mean. Fauna and Flora 44:23-27.
The authors discuss the "golden mean" of the South African government's 1980
national policy for environmental conservation,
which couples development and conservation, and the conflict of overhead power lines and
bird species' welfare. The Bird
Research Committee (BRC) has developed strategies to discourage birds from nesting or
sitting on the critical part of the tower
and avoiding electrocution and/or power outages. Besides cape vultures, martial eagles,
and other raptors, a few waterfowl
species are highly susceptible to collisions with conductors and groundwires. (The BRC
also developed orange aluminum
spheres to serve as groundwire markers.) The authors suspect that most waterfowl
collisions occur when bird flight activity is
greatest (e.g., migration) and when visibility is poor (dusk, dawn, or inclement weather
conditions).
201. Holberger, R., L. Morrow, S. Lubores, J. Watson, and F. Williams. 1975.
Resource and land investigations
program: considerations in evaluating utility line proposals. Prepared by Mitre
Corporation, Maclean, Virginia.
Propared for U.S. Department of Interior. Contract 08550-CT5-3, Project No. 3500, Dept.
W-54.
Potential electrocution of raptors and other large birds by power lines is mentioned,
specifically lines supplying electricity for
pumping or compressing gas or oil through pipelines. Because distribution lines have
relatively close spacing of conductors and
ground wires, they pose more of an electrocution risk than transmission lines. The authors
note that "such electrocutions can
be...prevented by application of simple measures in engineering lines for distribution of
electric power."
202. Holyoak, D. 1971. Movements and mortality of Corvidae. Bird Study 16:97-106.
In England, small numbers of corvids were killed by road traffic and by flying into
overhead wires. The author notes they
probably died "because of inexperience with these hazards."
203 *Hoskin, J. 1975. Casualties at the CKVR-TV tower, Barrie. Nature Canada
4(2):39-40.
During August and September 1974, 4,900 dead birds were collected at the newly
constructed, 1,000-foot tower in Ontario,
Canada. Large kills occurred in September on the 10th (409 birds), 13th (704), 14th (371),
and 21st (1,523). Among the
casualties were 1,000 bay-breasted warblers and 900 ovenbirds. Other species with high
losses were the northern parula,
northern waterthrush, Cape May warbler, and rose-breasted grosbeak.
204. Howard, R.P. and J.F. Gore, eds. 1980. Proceedings of workshop on raptors and
energy developments, Boise,
Idaho, 25-26 January 1980. Presented by the Idaho Chapter of the Wildlife Society, U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service,
and the Idaho Power Company. 125 pp.
Eleven papers on raptors and energy developments were presented at the 1980 meeting of the
Idaho Chapter of the Wildlife
Society. This symposium served "as a midstream review of where we are and what
directions we want to explore." Topics
covered include nuclear facility impacts, electrocution, raptor use of power poles, raptor
protection activities, and positive and
negative impacts of power structures. A list of workshop participants is given.
205. Howe, M.A. 1989. Migration of radio-marked whooping cranes from the
Aransas-Wood Buffalo population:
patterns of habitat use, behavior, and survival. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center,
Laurel, Maryland. Technical Report 21. 33 pp.
In fall 1981, 1982, and 1983 and spring 1983 and 1984, the use of migration stopovers by
radio-marked whooping cranes
between Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, and central Saskatchewan, Canada, was
studied. A juvenile died during
migration after colliding with a power line in October 1981 near Glaslyn, Saskatchewan.
After completing its first two
migrations, a subadult was found dead under telephone lines near Waco, Texas, in October
1982.
206. Howell, J.A. and J.E. DiDonato. 1991. Assessment of avian use and mortality
related to wind turbine
operations: Altamont Pass, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Submitted to U.S. Windpower,
Inc., Livermore,
California. 72 pp.
From September 1988 to September 1989, 359 wind turbines were sampled for bird mortality,
yielding 42 bird recoveries.
Site differences were significant: multiple strikes tended to occur at swales
(depressions) and hill shoulders where ridge lines
had a stairstep effect. Some species, particularly golden eagles, were more susceptible to
impacts from wind turbines. The
authors express concern that the number of golden eagle mortalities at U.S. Windpower's
facility may have a significant impact
on local populations. In addition, the authors recommend that hypotheses about the
relationship of visibility, topography, and
mortality should be tested to evaluate methods to reduce avian mortality in the Altamont
Pass, California.
207. Howell, J.A., J. Noone, and C. Wardner. 1991. Visual experiment to reduce
avian mortality related to wind
turbine operations: Altamont Pass, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Submitted to U.S.
Windpower, Inc.,
Livermore, California. 28 pp.
Three hypotheses about bird collision and wind turbines in the Altamont Pass were tested
from August 1988 to August 1989:
birds can not see the blades under specific conditions, collisions tend to occur at ends
of turbine strings, and collisions tend to
occur at swales or hill shoulders. During the study, ten dead birds were found beneath
turbines. Increasing turbine blade
visibility appeared to reduce the number of collisions. It was not clearly determined that
specific locations are foci for mortality,
although site-specific variation did exist. "Additional trials with more sample
plots, different painting patterns, and colors will
confirm or deny these results."
208. Huckabee, J.W. 1980. Effects of power lines and poles on birds. R & D
Status Report, Energy Analysis and
Environment Division. EPRI Journal (March):49-50.
This report notes that certain utility poles are preferred by eagles and therefore pose
greater risk than poles never used as
roosting sites. The author recommends that "preferred" poles be determined by
analysis of surrounding vegetation as prey
habitat and that these poles be corrected. There is a need for data on collision
mortality, changes in behavior from the presence
of lines, electromagnetic fields, audible noise, and visual coronas. This report outlines
two future projects to study these effects
on avian populations.
209. Icanberry, J. 1991. Reducing bird-power line collisions. Pacific Gas and
Electric, R & D Program Research
Results (August). San Ramon, California. 2 pp.
Researchers developed a prototype collision detection system to measure power line
vibrations and distinguish bird collisions
from other causes of power line movement. "The new system will allow PG&E for the
first time to accurately quantify the
impact of existing and proposed overhead wires on bird populations, and to develop
suitable collision mitigation measures." The
system is available for use on energized power lines maintaining an average load of 15
amperes.
210. James, B.W. and B.A. Haak. 1979. Factors affecting avian flight behavior and
collision mortality at
transmission lines. Final report. Bonneville Power Administration, Portland, Oregon. 106
pp.
Flight intensity and mortality were highest in fall. Birds flushed from near the lines
appeared more susceptible to collision than
those routinely crossing the lines. Special attention was focused on flight reactions
during inclement weather, specifically fog.
Collisions were observed under a variety of environmental conditions, including clear
weather, and during both day and night.
No definitive relationship was found between inclement weather and increased collision
mortality. Fast flying birds in tight flocks
at low altitude were most susceptible to collisions. The majority of collisions (83
percent) were the result of birds striking
groundwires. "Avian collision mortality from transmission lines in this study was
biologically insignificant. However, bird flight
altitudes were altered in the vicinity of the lines. Birds flew higher over line
structures thus adversely affecting hunting potential in
the immediate vicinity of the line (0.5 km)."
211. *James, D. and H.H. Shugart, Jr. 1967. Fall migration: central southern
region. Audubon Field Notes
21(1):45-47.
The comparatively low kill at the Nashville, Tennessee, towers in fall 1966 was attributed
to