Another spotlight has been placed on our Hawk Eye Bird Flight Diverters – this time by none other than the United States Fish and Wildlife Services! Highlights are below and the article on the FWS.GOV website can be found here.
- The Tern Protection Project is based in Brazil (though the birds are technically American they migrate back and forth) where power lines positioned between nesting areas and the sea (food source) were killing these birds at such an alarming rate that the USFW and the Audubon Society reached out to APLIC (Avian Power Line Interaction Committee) for guidance
- APLIC recommended working with Power Line Sentry to protect these birds from power line collisions
- In 2017 alone they recorded 110 dead birds
- Power Line Sentry Hawk Eye Bird Flight Diverters were installed in December 2021, just prior to the 2022 migration season
- After Power Line Sentry Hawk Eye Bird Flight Diverters were installed, collision reduced approx. 90%, “they found only 9 dead roseate terns” and noted that “most mortalities happened on a single night of high winds”
While avian collisions are a complex issue, this ongoing research is critical in understanding the value of high contrasting bird flight diverter designs and we look forward to the years of research to come.
Giant thanks to all who are working to make our flyways safer both here in the states and around the world!