A Silent Crisis: Protecting Birds from Powerlines and Communication Towers

Reprint from Spring 2025 BCnature magazine.
Author — Jennifer Dowd

Each year, millions of birds take to the skies, navigating vast landscapes with the instincts passed down through generations. But for too many, the journey ends in tragedy. Across Canada, powerlines and communication towers claim the lives of an estimated 161 million birds annually. These collisions are silent, often unseen, but they are among the most devastating human-caused threats to avian populations. If we fail to act, we risk losing not only individual birds but entire species that rely on these migratory pathways.

The Risks to Birds: A Lethal Obstacle Course
For birds, the skies should be a sanctuary, but instead, they have become a deadly maze of nearly invisible powerlines and misleading lights. Thin wires are impossible for many species to detect, especially at night or in poor weather. Meanwhile, steady-burning lights on communication towers become fatal beacons, luring migratory birds into an endless spiral of confusion and exhaustion until they perish from collisions. The cost of inaction is steep, and every delay means more unnecessary loss of life.

Proven Solutions: Simple Changes, Big Impact Fortunately, research-backed solutions exist, and they are both practical and effective. The Environment Canada Bird Study outlines several ways to dramatically reduce bird fatalities:

  • Bird Flight Diverters on Powerlines: Installing visual markers or “bird flight diverters” makes powerlines visible to birds, reducing collisions by up to 90%. Simple tools like spirals or reflective disks can prevent thousands of deaths in high-risk areas like wetlands, rivers, and migratory corridors.

  • Reducing Tower Lighting – A straightforward fix—switching from steady-burning red lights to flashing lights—can reduce bird collisions by 70%. Without the deadly lure of constant illumination, migratory birds are less likely to be trapped in fatal flight loops.

  • Line Configuration Adjustments – When possible, burying powerlines in ecologically sensitive areas or reconfiguring wires to be more visible can prevent deadly collisions. If burial isn’t feasible, spacing lines farther apart can give birds a fighting chance to navigate safely.

  • Strategic Siting of Infrastructure – Prevention is key. Avoiding the placement of powerlines and towers in known migratory pathways, nesting sites, or wetlands can drastically reduce fatalities. Comprehensive environmental impact assessments must become a standard practice.
Brewer's Blackbird - Photo J. Dowd

It’s Time to Hold Companies Accountable
For too long, energy and telecommunications companies have overlooked their role in protecting bird populations, despite clear evidence of the harm their infrastructure causes. Conservationists must take a stand and demand that these industries implement proven solutions. BC Nature is leading the charge with its proposal, Avian Conservation and Energy: A Proposal to Reduce Bird Fatalities from Power Lines and Communication Towers. This initiative calls for immediate and meaningful commitments from companies to mitigate bird collisions and protect critical habitats. The time for excuses is over — it’s time for action. There are easy things these companies can do such as:

  • BC Hydro: Install bird flight diverters on key powerline segments, begin tracking bird collision data, and use underground powerlines where feasible in ecologically sensitive
  • Telecommunication Companies: Convert steady- burning lights to flashing systems, replace hard-to- see guy wires with higher-visibility materials, and adjust tower siting to avoid critical bird

BC Nature’s Commitment: Turning Research into Action
The time for talk is over. BC Nature is now taking this proposal to its executive meetings, where the organization will work to secure a firm commitment for meaningful conservation action in 2025. Through partnerships with industry leaders, conservation groups, and government officials, BC Nature is determined to push for real change and hold companies accountable for protecting Canada’s birds.

Every collision is one too many. With proven solutions within reach, we must act now. By implementing these changes, we can ensure that the skies remain safe for future generations of birds, preserving the natural beauty and biodiversity that makes Canada’s ecosystems so extraordinary. ☼