Power Pole Density and Avian Electrocution Risk in the Western United States

Dwyer, James F.; Gerber, Brian D.; Petersen, Paul A.; Armstrong, W.; Harness, Richard E.

doi:10.3356/0892-1016-54.2.93

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Future research could use PTTs with higher data collection frequencies to more quickly identify perch sites, or could use a GISbased approach to compare all perch locations to all road types and to power line densities. In the United States, power line locations are rarely shared by electric utilities but estimates of power pole density are available in Colorado and Wyoming (Dwyer et al 2016), and throughout much of western North America (Dwyer et al 2020), and these may be useful in broader assessments of avian electrocution risk. If such an assessment were undertaken, care would be needed to develop an objective comparison between electrocution risk and vehicle collision risk because of the different mechanisms of the two risk types.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Golden Eagle Perch-Site Use in the U.S. Southern Plains: Understanding Electrocution Risk

Dwyer

Murphy

Stahlecker³

et al. 2020

Journal of Raptor Research

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Golden Eagle Perch-Site Use in the U.S. Southern Plains: Understanding Electrocution Risk

Dwyer

Murphy

Stahlecker³

et al. 2020

Journal of Raptor Research

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“…These regional models examine the overlap between pole density and eagle use areas identifying high‐risk areas for electrocution across service territories of electric utility providers (Dwyer et al ). Models are available for Colorado and Wyoming (Dwyer et al ), and are currently being developed for the Great Basin (CA, ID, NV, OR, UT), Columbia Plateau (ID, OR, WA), and Montana (Dwyer et al ). The Wyoming model was recently used to prioritize retrofitting for resource managers based on the overlap of predicted pole density (Dwyer et al ) and eagle foraging areas during the breeding season (Preston ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review and synthesis of research investigating golden eagle electrocutions

et al. 2018

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Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) electrocution on power poles is a global conservation problem with an estimated 504 eagles electrocuted annually in North America alone. Despite widespread use of mitigation techniques to retrofit existing poles and to build new poles to avian‐friendly standards, electrocution remains a leading anthropogenic cause of death for the golden eagle. To assist electric utilities, wildlife managers, and the public in understanding eagle electrocution risk, we reviewed and synthesized risk factors and mitigation techniques from published literature from 1940 to 2016. Eagles have 8 electrocution risk factors: pole design, eagle age, morphology, land cover and topography, prey availability, season, weather, and behavior. Pole configuration was the most frequently identified electrocution risk factor and electrocution incidents were most often associated with distribution level (<69 kV) equipment poles. Age was the second most frequently identified risk factor, with juvenile eagles electrocuted at approximately twice the rate of subadults or adults. Risk was also associated with large body size, high‐quality habitat, high prey density, winter dispersal, inclement weather, and intraspecific interactions. Risk modeling based on these factors may assist electric utilities and other stakeholders in identification of high‐risk poles at the regional scale. High‐risk poles need prioritization for retrofitting by electric utilities. Compensatory mitigation funding becoming available through eagle take permitting may be useful in offsetting costs to utilities. Electrocution mitigation efforts strategized by region to target high‐risk poles could result in substantial reductions of golden eagle annual mortalities. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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“…Exposure is defined as the likelihood for the individuals of a target species to encounter an electric pole and is assumed to increase proportionally with increasing pole density (Dwyer et al ., 2016). That is, when a species inhabits a geographic range with a high pole density, that species has high overall exposure, and consequently the probability of electrocution occurring increases (Dwyer et al ., 2020). Species susceptibility to electrocution is mainly influenced by intrinsic behavioral and morphological traits (Bevanger, 1998; Janss, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk of bird electrocution in power lines: a framework for prioritizing species and areas for conservation and impact mitigation

Biasotto

Moreira

Bencke

et al. 2021

Animal Conservation

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Electrocution on power lines is an important human‐related cause of bird mortality and an important conservation issue worldwide. Besides impacts on bird populations, electrocutions cause power outages, resulting in damage to power line network integrity. However, there is a general lack of knowledge on the risk of bird electrocution, especially in developing countries. Generating information over large scales without resorting to local mortality data can be useful for the development of regional management strategies, particularly in countries where electrocution is poorly documented. Here, we developed a framework to model the risk of bird electrocution as an interaction between the species‐specific exposure to power lines (pole density within a species distribution range) and susceptibility (morphological and behavioral traits associated with electrocution hazards). We applied this framework to Brazil, identifying 283 species that face a risk of electrocution, of which 38 were classified as higher risk, mostly raptors (76%). The Pantanal (a large wetland biome) concentrates the greatest cumulative susceptibility due to the high number of species vulnerable to electrocution (i.e. large species using power lines for perching or nesting), while the Atlantic Forest region has a higher risk for electrocution, due to the spatial overlap between the presence of vulnerable species and high exposure to power lines. Furthermore, our study identified spatial patterns of bird electrocution, highlighting priority areas for electrocution susceptibility and electrocution risk to be further investigated, and where measures to mitigate bird electrocutions should be applied on new and existing power lines. Our framework allows a preliminary assessment aimed at identifying areas of higher risk of electrocution, to highlight species vulnerable to this threat and to improve power line routing. This approach can be replicated to other understudied areas of the world where the same information is available.

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Power Pole Density and Avian Electrocution Risk in the Western United States

Abstract: BioOne Complete (complete.BioOne.org) is a full-text database of 200 subscribed and open-access titles in the biological, ecological, and environmental sciences published by nonprofit societies, associations, museums, institutions, and presses.

Cited by 12 publications

References 30 publications

Golden Eagle Perch-Site Use in the U.S. Southern Plains: Understanding Electrocution Risk

Golden Eagle Perch-Site Use in the U.S. Southern Plains: Understanding Electrocution Risk

Review and synthesis of research investigating golden eagle electrocutions

Risk of bird electrocution in power lines: a framework for prioritizing species and areas for conservation and impact mitigation

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