Nesting by Raptors and Common Ravens on Electrical Transmission Line Towers

Steenhof, Karen; Kochert, Michael N.; Roppe, Jerry A.

doi:10.2307/3809424

Cited by 93 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Power lines are a landscape element with which birds interact in different ways (Bevanger, 1998;Negro, 1999;Lehman et al, 2007). On the one hand, as a positive ecosystem element, electric infrastructure can provide nesting platforms and are used as perches for resting or searching for potential prey, thus benefitting many species (Steenhof et al, 1993), while at the same time increasing predation rates on some species (Lammers and Collopy, 2007). On the other hand, negative interactions appear to play a greater role in the relationship of birds and electric infrastructure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Space–time trends in Spanish bird electrocution rates from alternative information sources

Guil¹,

Colomer

Moreno-Opo

et al. 2015

Global Ecology and Conservation

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a b s t r a c tInteraction with man-made infrastructures is one of the main sources of non-natural bird mortality. Here, we use a long-term study to analyse spatial and temporal patterns in avian electrocution in Spain, using ringed birds as well as published reports and articles as information sources. Electrocution rates of ringed birds differ from rates obtained in unringed species. Electrocution rates are likely seasonally asymmetrical and are not constant across study periods: between 1990 and 2005 an annual rising trend of 5% was observed, whereas between 2006 and 2010 this trend decreased (16% annually). From the literature, we confirmed this decreasing trend. However, when we consider large eagles (Aquila genus), which include several of the most threatened bird species in Spain, this Raptors Ringing recoveries Spain decreasing trend is not evident. The results of the analysis of different environmental and socio-economic factors affecting bird electrocution rates are similar between ringed birds and traditional power line surveys. Our modelling suggests three common factors that influence mortality rates: number of hunted rabbits, tree coverage and length of the power line network. Thus, the use of alternative information sources to detect high mortality areas due to electrocution by power lines may be a useful tool to complement other methods.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Space–time trends in Spanish bird electrocution rates from alternative information sources

Guil¹,

Colomer

Moreno-Opo

et al. 2015

Global Ecology and Conservation

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“…In the past three decades, an emphasis on domestic fossil-fuel production accelerated the development of onshore federal mineral estates in sagebrush landscapes supporting some of the highest densities of sagebrushobligate species [4,8]. The removal of habitat by oil and gas infrastructure, behavioral avoidance of infrastructure by wildlife species, and infrastructure-mediated impacts to survival and reproduction due to altered predator [9] and disease dynamics [10] further fragmented sagebrush habitat [11] and elevated risks to resident wildlife populations [1,[12][13][14]. Assessment of future US energy demands predict continued use of fossil fuels as a primary energy source with a 20% increase in natural gas consumption over the next 25 years [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Simulation Framework for Assessing Physical and Wildlife Impacts of Oil and Gas Development Scenarios in Southwestern Wyoming

Garman

2017

Environ Model Assess

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Foreseeable natural gas development in southwestern Wyoming has the potential to increase sagebrush fragmentation and risks to resident wildlife species. The ability to balance future development with conservation goals, however, is enhanced by advances in directional-drilling technologies that use multiple wells per pad and produce less surface disturbance than conventional drilling methods. To evaluate the conservation potential of this technology, I developed an energy footprint model that simulates well, pad, and road patterns for oil and gas recovery options that vary in well types (vertical and directional) and number of wells per pad and use simulation results to quantify physical and wildlife-habitat impacts. I applied the model to assess tradeoffs among 10 conventional and directional-drilling scenarios in a natural gas field in southwestern Wyoming. Scenarios spanned a gradient in the number of vertical and directional wells, and in number of pads (2000 to 250), but all extracted the same amount of gas over a 15-year period. Reducing pad numbers with directional-drilling technology reduced surface disturbance area and impacts on spatially extensive habitats (48-96% of study area) such as sagebrush-obligate songbird habitat, elk winter range, and sagebrush core area. Impacts declined for spatially restricted mule deer migration corridors (24% of study area) and greater sage-grouse leks until energy infrastructure densities within corridors and near leks were similar to the initial landscape. Scenario simulations and tradeoff assessments such as illustrated in this study are intended to help decision-makers identify development designs that best achieve both energy and conservation goals.

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“…There are very few data available from other parts of Europe or the world. The average number of the Common Ravens nesting on pylons in Poland was 0.6 pairs per 10 km of line in the years 1996-1998 (Bednorz 2000), while in the States of Idaho and Oregon (USA), it was on average 1.3 pairs per 10 km of the line (Steenhof et al 1993). In the steppe landscape of Mongolia, the density was 1.15 pairs per 10 km of line (Dixon et al 2013).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is nowadays a well-known phenomenon in the continental part of the country, but the most common in the eastern lowland areas (Grabar 1999, Jurčević-Agić 2006, Bašić-Jakobović 2007. Such tendency has also been registered in other parts of Europe (Stegemann 1971, Molnár 1992, Ratcliffe 1997, Bednorz 2000, Puzović 2007a) as well as in North America (White & Tanner-White 1988, Steenhof et al 1993, Kristan & Boarman 2007 and Asia (Dixon et al 2013). In the Baranya area, the Common Raven breeds in all forest types as well as in smaller groves, tree lines and even on solitary trees in open agricultural landscape (Tomik unpublished data).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

The nesting of the Common Raven Corvus corax on the electricity pylons in the Baranya area

Tomik¹

2017

Larus

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The Common Raven is a habitat generalist breeding throughout forested and open regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The species has undergone a large increase over the last 40 years in Europe. In the same period, it has begun to nest on pylons of the transmission lines; nowadays, it is a common phenomenon in Europe, including the eastern lowland areas of Croatia. In this study, surveys of the Common Raven nests were conducted on eight power lines in the area of Baranya in Eastern Croatia in 2006 and 2016 respectively. In 2006, 23 active Common Raven nests were found along seven power lines, while in 2016, 37 nests were recorded on eight lines, with a population increase of 60.9%. The average breeding density in 2016 was 3.3 pairs per 10 km of line, while the average frequency of occupied pylons was 10.2%. The mean distance between neighbouring nests amounted to 3128 m, and the distribution of nests along the power lines was probably affected by food availability. The majority of pylons supporting a Common Raven nest was placed in open agricultural areas (81.1%). Power lines proved to be important landscape elements in the avian conservation point of view.

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Nesting by Raptors and Common Ravens on Electrical Transmission Line Towers

Cited by 93 publications

References 3 publications

Space–time trends in Spanish bird electrocution rates from alternative information sources

Space–time trends in Spanish bird electrocution rates from alternative information sources

A Simulation Framework for Assessing Physical and Wildlife Impacts of Oil and Gas Development Scenarios in Southwestern Wyoming

The nesting of the Common Raven Corvus corax on the electricity pylons in the Baranya area

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