[TowerTalk] Towers aint for birds

[John Langdon]

I heard  a story on a Dallas area National Public Radio outlet about two 
months ago to the effect that migrating birds were confused when familiar 
towers were dismantled, and also that they tended to fly into new towers 
and especially guy wires.  The owner of the towers involved in the story 
(located in W4 land, the Carolinas or Atlanta, I think) was one of the 
national wireless/cellular firms.  They had an interview with an engineer 
who had actually collected data on bird "strikes" and worked with a 
biologist to understand why they happened.  There was a tremendous 
variation by species, with some birds being much more likely than others to 
hit a tower.  They wanted to head off the "we can't build any more towers 
due to endangered species" stuff, so they ended up devising some sort of 
rotating wind sock that attached to the towers and guy wires that kept the 
birds from hitting them and also improved daytime visibility for aircraft. 
 Some of the people that had objected to the towers and wanted them removed 
to protect the birds ended up very unhappy with the appearance of the new 
bird warning devices, and not pleased that the birds were safer.  You never 
know how these things will turn out.

 73 John N5CQ



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