The Effects of Tower Structure and Weather Conditions on Avian Mortality at Three Television Towers in Central Illinois
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Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science received 1/17/13 (2013) Volume 106, pp. 9-12 accepted 8/12/13 The Effects of Tower Structure and Weather Conditions on Avian Mortality at Three Television Towers in Central Illinois Lisa A. Lundstrom1, David Joseph Horn1*, and Angelo P. Capparella2 1Department of Biology, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522, USA 2School of Biological Sciences, Campus Box 4120, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790, USA *Correspondence: [email protected] ABSTRACT Avian mortality has been documented at television towers and other constructed lighted structures for over 150 years, and it is estimated that 6.8 million birds are killed annually in the United States and Canada as a result of communication towers. Tower structure (lighting, height, and guy wires) and weather conditions (wind direction, cloud cover) play a large role in mortality rates. We examined the effects of tower structure and weather conditions on mortality at three television towers in central Illinois (WAND, WBUI, and WILL). For- ty-three searches were conducted between August and November 2006-2009 with a total of 415 birds from 14 families found. Most birds found were of Family Parulidae (66%), Family Emberizidae (9%), and Family Turdidae (9%). The WILL tower accounted for 96% of the total birds killed. The high mortality observed at the WILL tower may be due to the tower’s steady and flashing red lights as opposed to the flashing white lights on the WAND and WBUI towers. We found that more birds were killed following nights with winds from the north and ≥50% cloud cover. Most studies of tower collisions have focused on tower structure rather than weather conditions; however, the combination of tower lighting and weather may play a substantial role in avian mortality. INTRODUCTION lights instead. Previous studies have found fatalities than towers of the same height Avian mortality associated with artificial that nocturnally migrating birds would fly without guy wires. lighting on human structures is thought to around standard FAA lights of communi- While birds can collide with towers on be a significant source of human-caused cation towers until the lights were turned clear nights, previous studies have found bird death (Evans 2007). The most recent off (Cochran and Graber 1958; Avery et al. that larger numbers of birds are killed on mortality estimate at communication tow- 1977). fall nights with heavy cloud cover, north- ers is 6.8 million birds per year in the Unit- While the exact cause of this attraction erly winds, and a low cloud ceiling when ed States and Canada; about 50% greater is unknown, it is thought that migrating they do not have the stars to navigate by than the current estimate by the U.S. birds use both visual cues, such as stars, (Avery et al. 1977; Seets and Bohlen 1977; Fish and Wildlife Service (Longcore et al. as well as an internal magnetic compass to Larkin and Frase 1988; Kruse 1996). These 2012). Past studies have found that almost navigate, and the artificial lighting some- conditions force birds to fly at lower alti- 95% of all birds that collide with lighted how interferes with this (Gauthreaux and tudes within the range of towers, exposing structures are neotropical migrants, par- Belser 2006). For example, laboratory tests them to tower structure risks. ticularly Family Parulidae (i.e. warblers; have suggested that the internal magnetic We examined how the number of birds Longcore et al. 2013). The main factors compass may be wavelength-dependent, killed at one class of communication tow- associated with tower kills are tower struc- with birds showing good orientation un- er, tall television towers, was influenced by ture (lighting, height, and guy wires) and der white and green lights (Wiltschko and tower structure as well as cloud cover and weather conditions (Longcore et al. 2008; Wiltschko 1995) and disorientation under prevailing winds during fall migration. Gehring et al. 2009). red light (Wiltschko et al. 1993). While there have been many studies on Artificial lighting affects the behavior of In the presence of lighted towers, birds the effects of tower structure, fewer studies many plant and animal species, particular- generally follow a circular, curvilinear have examined the role of specific weather ly at night (Rich and Longcore 2006). Spe- flight pattern, and will continually circle conditions on the number of bird colli- cies can be attracted to, or disoriented by, around them until they collide with some sions (although see Longcore et al. 2012). sources of artificial light through positive part of the tower or its guy wires, or suc- We predicted that birds would experience phototaxis (Verheijen 1985; Longcore and cumb to exhaustion and can no longer fly the greatest mortality during nights with Rich 2004). This behavior in birds has been (Gauthreaux and Belser 2006). In an ex- ≥50% cloud cover and predominantly documented at communication towers for amination of the role of tower height and northerly winds. By understanding the over 50 years as a result of the lighting sys- guy wires on avian mortalities, Gehring et effects of weather and tower structure on tems required by the Federal Aviation Ad- al. (2011) found that there are 54—86% mortality, we can make recommendations ministration (FAA) (Gehring et al. 2009). fewer fatalities at medium height, guyed on ways to reduce avian mortality at tele- Standard FAA lighting normally consists towers (116—146 m) than at tall height, vision towers. of a combination of steady and flashing guyed towers (>305 m) and that guyed METHODS red lights, although some towers use white towers account for 16 times more bird We conducted our study at three television The Effects of Tower Structure and Weather Conditions on Avian Mortality at Three Television Towers in Central Illinois 10 Lisa A. Lundstrom, David Joseph Horn, and Angelo P. Capparella towers in central Illinois between August Table 1. Characteristics of three television towers and the landscape that surrounded each and November 2006—2009. The location of in central Illinois. the towers were as follows: 1) WAND-TV Chacteristic WILL WAND WBUI tower, Macon Co.: Whitmore Twp. (T17N, Tower Variables R3E, S11), ca 2¼ mi. NE Oreana; 2) WBUI- a TV tower, Macon Co.: Whitmore Twp. Tower Height 282 m 379 m 390 m (T17N, R3E, S11), ca 2 mi. NE Oreana; Number of Wires 27 24 24 and 3) WILL-TV tower, Piatt Co.: Willow Guy-Wire Length 6202 m Not determinedb 5538 m Branch Twp. (T18N, R5E, S67/8), ca 5½ mi. Number of Flashing Lights 3 13 13 W Monticello. Number of Steady Lights 12 0 0 The towers were searched for carcasses Light-Pulse Frequency 30/min 40/min 40/min on mornings following nights with four Light Color Red White White weather conditions: 1) ≥50% cloud cover Construction Color Red/White Steel Steel and northerly winds, 2) ≥50% cloud cover and non-northerly winds, 3) <50% cloud Landscape Variables cover and northerly winds, and 4) <50% Ground Elevation 210 m 209 m 208 m cloud cover and non-northerly winds. Distance to Water Source 5.7 km 4.1 km 4.1 km Nights were classified using hourly weath- Distance to City 9.7 km 8.9 km 8.9 km er observations from http://www.wunder a Tower height and ground elevation were obtained from http://www.fccinfo.com. ground.com. To determine which morning b The exact guy-wire length could not be determined; however, the tower construction of WBUI and to look for birds, we a priori selected days WAND is nearly identical. Therefore, we expect the guy-wire length to be similar. to search at the beginning of the fall sea- son. To balance the number of searches by weather condition category, we did addi- ed. Birds collected were deposited at the than 50 birds, the first on 4 October 2006 tional searches specific to those categories J.W. Powell-D. Birkenholz Natural History with 275 birds found, and the second on 28 by monitoring conditions the previous eve- Collection at Illinois State University. October 2009 with 60 birds found. ning and searching for birds that morning. Searches began at dawn to reduce carcass We collected characteristics of each tower We found that the number of birds killed loss to scavengers (Crawford 1971). that could influence collision frequency. was not equivalent in each of our four These included tower height, number of weather categories (Fig. 1, X2=33.3, P<0.05). At each of the three television towers, we wires, guy-wire length, number of lights, The majority of our birds were found fol- first searched the paved and grassy areas light-pulse frequency, light color, tower col- just outside the tower facility. We then en- or, ground elevation, and distance to near- tered the facility and searched around the est water source and city. Distance charac- tower, including the roof. The areas under teristics of each tower were measured using Table 2. The number of birds found from the guy wires were searched after harvest by an Opti-Logic Laser Rangefinder. each of 14 familes at 3 television towers in walking straight paths from the tower base central Illinois from 2006-2009. We determined whether the number of to the base of the three sets of guy wires Family Number of Fatalities and back, encompassing approximate- dead birds collected per night was equiva- Parulidae 272 ly 5 m to each side of the guy wires. Not lent among our four weather categories us- searched was the extensive area between ing a chi-square test. A P-value of <0.05 was Turdidae 38 the guy wires.