Help Stop Bird Kills at Communications Towers

Golden-winged Warbler and other birds killed at a communications tower. Photo: Andrew Paulios/WBCI

Using the form on this page, you can write to the Federal Communications Commission to urge them to stop the needless killing of millions of migratory songbirds caused by communications towers across the country.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that up to 50 million birds are killed each year because of lighted communications towers! Scientists have shown that -- especially during bad weather conditions -- migrating birds become disoriented and trapped by the halo of light surrounding towers that use steady-burning illumination. The birds circle endlessly until they either collide with the structure, each other, or simply fall dead from sheer exhaustion.

In just one instance, more than 10,000 dead birds were found under a single communication tower in one night!

Simple steps can be taken to prevent these needless deaths, but for over ten years, the FCC (the government agency that licenses towers) has been dragging its feet in implementing them, despite repeated appeals by American Bird Conservancy, Audubon, and Defenders of Wildlife, as well as independent scientists, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and even a federal court order.

With the annual spring bird migration nearly underway, a new administration that has voiced its commitment to science-based decision-making, and new leadership at the FCC, now is the time to urge the Commission to safeguard our neotropical migratory songbirds for future generations of Americans.

This system is fully automated, so simply by filling in your full address below and clicking "send", your message will be sent directly to the FCC. We have drafted a letter for you, but your personal comments will increase the impact of your email, so please consider making your own edits to the letter body and subject line below.

Thank You!

Darin Schroeder
Vice President for Conservation Advocacy
American Bird Conservancy

May 21, 2013

Subject:

Dear Acting Commissioner Copps:

As one of the millions of Americans who cherish our nation’s native wild birds, I urge the FCC to take action to prevent the needless killing of millions of migratory birds at communications towers. This can be done without hampering the development and operation of telecommunication services or aviation safety. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that up to 50 million birds are killed each year because of communications towers! Scientists have shown that -- especially during bad weather conditions -- migrating birds become disoriented and trapped by the halo of light surrounding towers using steady-burning illumination, circling endlessly until they either collide with the structure, each other, or simply fall dead from sheer exhaustion. Notwithstanding overwhelming scientific evidence that communications towers, especially the steady burning lights, kill birds, and notwithstanding guidance from the Fish and Wildlife Service on siting and operation of these towers, the FCC does not conduct any meaningful environmental review of tower applications. Nor has the FCC adopted regulatory changes or mitigation measures to avoid or minimize these effects. As you said in commenting on this issue in 2006, “The Commission could have faced up to this problem years ago. Put bluntly, for too many years this agency treated a widely-recognized problem with not-so-benign neglect. Now we have learned, I hope that this is not a problem that will just go away if we ignore it. Instead, we need to face up to the hard questions and resolve them in a timely and effective fashion.” The FCC should act now to significantly reduce the millions of neotropical migratory bird deaths killed every year at communications towers. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.
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