By: Zixian Huang

It is generally assumed that when a dead bird is found by a power line, it died from electrocution. However, a new study has found that most of the birds were actually shot illegally.

Researchers collected and examined 410 bird carcasses that were collected under power lines of more than 48 species from Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming. Out of the 175 birds that they could determine the cause of death of, 66% died from gunshot wounds.

It is possible that some birds that seem to have been killed by electricity were actually shot. For example, one power company initially diagnosed the cause of death for a bald eagle as electrocution, who was found with singed feathers and wings. However, radiographs of the bird showed numerous pellets that were associated with fresh injuries. “These observations suggest that the bird died from gunshot before contacting the power lines as it fell to the ground,” the authors of this study wrote. “These patterns highlight the importance of detailed laboratory examinations, including radiographs, of all avian carcasses when attempting to diagnose possible CODs [causes of death] of birds found along power lines.”

Bringing the illegal shootings to light will take most of the blame off electrical utilities who spend up to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year on modifying structures and line configurations, insulating energized equipment, installing flight diverters, and installing safe perches and nest platforms in attempts to reduce the risk of avian electrocutions.

“We are just beginning to understand this problem, and in a lot of cases, it’s really difficult to know what’s going on,” says Eve Thomason, a research associate at Boise State University’s Raptor Research Center. “Here’s what the research tells us: when people have been caught doing this activity, we’ve learned that sometimes people shoot protected birds for fun, and sometimes they’re trying to protect their livestock from predators.”

“Our work suggests that, although electrocution and collision remain important,” the authors conclude, “addressing illegal shooting now may have greater relevance for avian conservation.”

Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/03/science/birds-shot-power-lines.html

https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(23)01351-2?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2589004223013512%3Fshowall%3Dtrue