Illegal shooting along power lines a leading cause of death for bald eagles, protected birds in the

[douglas9]

BOISE, IDAHO - A study examining protected birds found dead along power lines on public lands in the western U.S. shows that gunshot deaths were three times more common than deaths from other causes.

In the Great Basin of the western U.S., power poles and power lines are often the tallest landscape features available to birds for perching and nesting. However, these human-made structures can also come with risks to birds.

“Power-line collisions and electrocutions are well documented causes of bird deaths worldwide, but there are many other risks to birds that live near humans. An accurate diagnosis is essential for effective wildlife management,” said Eve Thomason, lead author and a recent graduate of the Raptor Biology MS program and now a Research Associate in the Raptor Research Center at Boise State University. “Knowing if a bird died from electrocution, fell from a nest, was shot, or even exposed to poison, is critical to guiding conservation decision-making.”


https://www.usgs.gov/news/national-news-release/illegal-shooting-along-power-lines-a-leading-cause-death-bald-eagles