Tower owners, FCC musing over how to stop taking out birds
by Chris Ziegler 
posted Sep 7th 2008 at 12:44AM
Cell towers have obviously always been a danger to aircraft and the occasional light changer or BASE jumper, but the FCC's been facing scrutiny from environmental groups for years over the risks towers pose to another group of fliers: birds. A February court battle brought against the feds by the American Bird Conservancy -- dealing specifically with the threat of so-called "tower kill" on migratory birds in the Gulf region -- saw a ruling demanding that the FCC finally get down to business and come up with a game plan for dealing with the threat that cell sites pose to birds, particularly at night. Naturally, there's still some hemming and hawing, legal wrangling, and wringing of hands going on amongst tower owners and their allies, largely over concerns that the ruling's going to lead to denied and delayed applications for new tower construction. Apparently no one's bothered to teach those little guys what the red lights mean?[Via textually.org]
Filed under: Misc
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
crow610 @ Sep 7th 2008 1:25AM
poor snuffy
Fernando @ Sep 7th 2008 2:42AM
wtf, screw birds
and I mean that in the nicest way possible, but diminishing coverage just to save birds? just put some lights on them, bird got to know something is there then.
bird brains (lol I hate myself for making this pun)
ByronGman @ Sep 7th 2008 2:59AM
I seriously do not get how cell towers kill birds....
The windmills I can understand with the rotating blades.
But I mean.... if you can't navigate around a huge stationary object, wouldn't your lifespan be limited anyway?
I mean, how do they not hit trees and other objects at night, but cell phone towers are somehow unavoidable?
Chuck @ Sep 7th 2008 8:06AM
"threat that cell sites pose to birds, particularly at night"
Really, most birds aren't nocturnal. Those that are can SEE objects at night, that's why they're nocturnal. Those that aren't have more than cell towers to worry about (trees?)
Rudolphe @ Sep 7th 2008 9:40AM
these people just want something to bitch about. if they're dumb enough to fly into a huge metal structure they deserve their fate.
Jeetah @ Sep 7th 2008 9:56AM
you've got to be joking me.. yet another waste of government time and funds
Ben @ Sep 7th 2008 11:15AM
99% of all speces that have ever lived are extintict (SP) a large number go extintict every day, This Bird problem with cell towers may be a good thing in 2 ways, it would help keep up the percentages and it would keep those f@#$%^ birds from shitting on my truck. Birds are ex dinosaurs, they should have died when the metior hit anyway.
vv1r3d @ Sep 7th 2008 1:29PM
Birds that fly at night have to avoid natural objects such as trees anyways, so if they can see trees, then they can see towers....
Eric @ Sep 7th 2008 2:06PM
Maybe they need to do a study of picture windows and sliding glass doors, too.
plh2034 @ Sep 7th 2008 2:18PM
String some lowpower/solar powered/ glow-in-the-dark christmas tree lights on the towers.
Problem solved.
Next?
dobuleu @ Sep 7th 2008 4:38PM
natural selection
Poke4Christ @ Sep 8th 2008 12:16AM
exactly what I was thinking. I think this classifies as natural selection. The bird would have eventually flew into a tree if it's dumb enough to fly into a tower.
andy @ Sep 14th 2008 8:47PM
so the birds cant see the great big flashing red light that adorns every cell tower?
andy @ Sep 7th 2008 9:36PM
So the birds cant see the great big flashing red light that adorns every cell tower?
Digital Man @ Sep 8th 2008 8:12AM
Actually, the majority of the "bird kills" occur during semi-annual migrations, which take place primarily at night. So there is SOME validity to the concerns.
HOWEVER, one less bird on the nest means more available territory for the next...
jsc @ Sep 8th 2008 9:34AM
How interesting. Does it ever occur to the media that the large bird shredders knows as WIND TURBINES are popping up like weeds all over the US, and I don't hear much about people objecting to those... ahh, but wind power is sooo 2008, and Cell phone towers are definitely an ugly annoyance of yester-year. Plus, Obama likes wind power so it MUST be good.
Morons.