[TowerTalk] Dead Birds ?

[DonaldTenn@aol.com]

Gentlemen,

Sorry that I only caught the last few comments on this subject as I deleted 
the previous 30 or so as I thought it was probably some kind of nonsense 
being passed around. But, from what I can gather there is some concern that 
birds are being killed off as they are flying into broadcast and 
communications towers? possibly as a result of tower lighting or height?

As someone in the industry who is literally at or on a communications or 
broadcast tower site EVERYDAY and has been for the past 26 years. I can 
honestly say that I have not seen many dead birds lying around, and I do 
look. As someone who installs and maintains these towers all over the country 
one of the first things I do before climbing the tower is walk around the 
base of the tower looking for bolts etcetera that may have fallen out from a 
poor installation, secondly I inspect the anchor and guys to make sure that 
they are secure before my climb. I have noted VERY FEW if any dead birds. 

I do see many birds of prey, primarily hawks using the towers to their 
advantage in the search for their next meal, generally field mice. This would 
obviously be a benefit for them and obviously a loss for the field mice 
population. I have also found many field mice toasted inside of transmitters. 
If there is major loss of life at transmitter sites that I am aware of it 
would be within the field mice population.

I on occasion finds birds nesting on the towers generally behind a microwave 
dish. They are not dead or do not appear to even be deformed as some have 
speculated. I quite frankly see these towers as an asset to many birds.

There have only been two occasions that I could honestly testify to the loss 
of life as a direct result of broadcast or communications towers. On one 
occasion I was driving to a transmitter site in Montana when a flock of what 
were apparently sparrows flew into my windshield, loss of life? approximately 
7 birds. The second time was definitely a direct result of the tower/antenna. 
This was at the VOA in Delano, California. Apparently owls (probably 
spotted), hawks, etcetera would perch on these lines and look for their next 
meal until the antenna was radiated. It was at this time if they were not 
immediately killed, their feet/legs were burned off, they would then fall to 
the ground where they then were the prey. This was many years ago and it 
would bother me to see a large beautiful owl lying on the ground dead or 
dying from the transmitting antenna. But this was of course done in the name 
of democracy, if a few birds lost there lives in the name of democracy, so be 
it. 

No, I did not see any bald eagles.

Thank You,


Donald J. Tenn
Tenco Tower
Serving the Broadcast and Communications industry "Since 1978"
9647 Folsom Boulevard
Sacramento, California
95827 USA
Office: 916-638-8833
Facsimile: 916-362-6846
Voice mail: 888-864-5999
Electronic mail: TOWERMAN@broadcast.net 

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