Raptors and Power Lines

Noel Watkins

doi:10.53607/wrb.v22.231

Authors

Noel Watkins Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53607/wrb.v22.231

Keywords:

Raptor, power line, collision, electrocution

Abstract

During the last 30 years, bird mortality caused by overhead wires has been an increasing concern of conservationists, environmental management authorities, and electric companies. Electric companies’ concerns stem in part from power outages that can be caused by these incidents. Animals are the third leading cause of power outages across the US and birds cause more outages than any other animal (Harness and Wilson 1998). This issue is important to conservationists because populations of endangered species may be unable to compensate for the deaths caused by utility structures (Bevanger 1998). In 1992, three of the eight California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) released into the wild from a captive breeding program were found electrocuted (Bevanger 1998).

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Author Biography

Noel Watkins, Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine

Noel Watkins is a fourth-year veterinary student at Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine, class of 2005. His area of interest is zoo and wildlife medicine and he plans to participate in an internship after graduation.

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