Towerkill
Towerkill is a phenomenon in which birds are killed by collisions with antenna towers. In poor visibility, birds may simply fly into the guy-wires. But night illuminations around the towers can also disrupt migration patterns, with disoriented birds colliding with the structure. Research indicates that blinking lights can reduce deaths without diminishing visibility by aircraft.
Overview
In the United States, the
Mechanisms
There are two mechanisms of bird death due to communications towers. The first is the "blind kill" where birds flying in poor visibility do not see the guy-wires in time to avoid them. This is more of a threat for faster flying birds such as waterfowl or shorebirds. Slower and more agile birds, such as songbirds, are not as likely to succumb to blind collision.
Communications towers that are
Researchers at the
In May 2012, the
Wind turbines
Wind turbines represent a much smaller threat to birds, due to being much lower in number and lacking guy wires.[citation needed] The American Bird Conservancy estimates wind turbines kill 10,000 to 40,000 birds a year, which is a smaller percentage compared to communication towers, which kill 40 to 60 million a year, as estimated by the American Wind Energy Association. Overall, wind turbines cause about one-tenth of a percent of all unnatural bird deaths in the United States each year.[8]
See also
- Bird–skyscraper collisions
References
- ^ a b c d "Mortality Threats to Birds - Communications Towers". American Bird Conservancy. 18 April 2009. Archived from the original on 18 April 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
- ^ COMMUNICATION TOWERS: A DEADLY HAZARD TO BIRDS, American Bird Conservancy, June 2000
- ^ Manville, A.M., II. 2005. Bird strikes and electrocutions at power lines, communication towers, and wind turbines: state of the art and state of the science – next steps toward mitigation. Bird Conservation Implementation in the Americas: Proceedings 3rd International Partners in Flight Conference 2002
- ^ a b "Towerkill Mechanisms". Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ^ "Blinded By The Light, Birds Crash Into Radio Towers". NPR. 2012-06-13.
- ^ "Classic Towerkill Documents & Recent Literature". Retrieved 2009-05-06.
- ^ Patterson, James. "Evaluation of New Obstruction Lighting Techniques to Reduce Avian Fatalities" (PDF). US Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ "Do wind turbines kill birds?". howstuffworks.com. Retrieved 23 June 2010.
External links
- Towerkill.com—Database of towers and research bibliography
- Avian Mortality at Communications Towers—Workshop proceedings
- Bird Kills at Towers and Other Human-Made Structures—A partial annotated bibliography (1960–1998) (via archive.org)
- PUTTING WIND POWER'S EFFECT ON BIRDS IN PERSPECTIVE
- Fewer Lights Safer Flights—Resources for changing tower lights to reduce avian collisions by 70%.
- Response of night-migrating songbirds in cloud to colored and flashing light