Contact: , American Bird Conservancy, 202/234-7181 ext. 207

Eyesore towers also a hazard to birds

Unsightly communication towers are responsible for the deaths of millions of birds each year nationwide, reports American Bird Conservancy (ABC). A recent report by ABC, documenting the killing of 230 species of birds has gained greater, local significance with the building of Washington D.C.’s disputed 756ft Tenleytown tower.

The report, entitled "Communication Towers: A Deadly Hazard to Birds," details over half a million bird kills but this is just the tip of the iceberg according to experts, as the avian impacts of most towers are never investigated. The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service has estimated as many as 40 million birds are killed each year at the more than 77,000 television, cellphone, pager and other communications towers across the country. The service regards many of these birds as being of management concern, already under pressure from loss of habitat, pesticide poisoning and other environmental pressures.

Washington D.C. is home to a great variety of migrating songbirds, which use the natural habitat provided by areas such as Rock Creek Park for stop-off points along their migration routes, or even to spend the entire summer. These wandering sentinels of environmental health, enjoyed by birders throughout the Washington metropolitan area are under serious threat from the many towers now rising above the D.C. skyline.

"The building of yet another tall tower in Washington is unnecessary when the option to co-locate on existing towers or tall buildings could be utilized," said Gerald Winegrad, Vice President for Policy at ABC. "Such a large tower should be subject to rigorous environmental review, which should include the impact on migratory birds."

Scientists suspect that the root of the bird kill problem is the lighting (required by the Federal Aviation Administration) placed on all towers above 199ft tall, which confuses the birds during their nighttime migration - a situation exacerbated by fog or low cloud ceiling. The birds strike the tower, guy wires and related structures, each other and even the ground as they circle, disoriented by the flashing beacons. Several studies document hundreds or even thousands of birds found beneath a single tower after one night.

ABC is a leading member of the Communication Towers Working Group, which brings together government agencies, scientists, non-profit groups and industry representatives in an attempt to find solutions to the problem of bird kills at towers.

The ABC report is available in downloadable Adobe PDF format from ABC’s web site by clicking the tower report link at the bottom of the home page: www.abcbirds.org, or a hard copy can be ordered by calling (202) 234-7181