Use perch-deterrents to stop raptors perching on pylons

Overall effectiveness category Likely to be beneficial
Number of studies: 1
Share Tweet Email

View assessment score

How is the evidence assessed?

Effectiveness

50%
Certainty

45%
Harms

0%

Calculating overall effectiveness category

Background information and definitions

Preventing raptors from landing on pylons at all may reduce electrocution, for example, perch-deterrent power lines have spikes and pole caps on the pylons to deter birds.

Study locations

Key messages

A single controlled study from the USA found significantly lower raptor activity close to perch-deterrent power lines, compared to control lines. No data were provided on electrocution rates.

About key messages

Key messages provide a descriptive index to studies we have found that test this intervention.

Studies are not directly comparable or of equal value. When making decisions based on this evidence, you should consider factors such as study size, study design, reported metrics and relevance of the study to your situation, rather than simply counting the number of studies that support a particular interpretation.

Supporting evidence from individual studies

A controlled study from September-August in 2006-2007 in shrubland in Wyoming, USA (Slater & Smith 2010), found that raptor activity and predation rates were significantly lower near a 24.9 km perch-deterrent line, compared to a 16.4 km section of control line (42 sightings vs. 551 and 69 prey items found vs. 277). Golden eagles Aquila chrysaetos and common ravens Corvus corax were the species most commonly observed successfully overcoming deterrent devices (76% of deterrent-line sightings). More raptors perched on wires (rather than pylons) on perch-deterrent lines (228 compared to 11 sightings on control lines; 68% of sightings were rough-legged hawks Buteo lagopus).

Study and other actions tested
Referenced paper
Slater S.J. & Smith J.P. (2010) Effectiveness of raptor perch deterrents on an electrical transmission line in southwestern Wyoming. Journal of Wildlife Management, 74, 1080-1088.

Please cite as:

Williams, D.R., Child, M.F., Dicks, L.V., Ockendon, N., Pople, R.G., Showler, D.A., Walsh, J.C., zu Ermgassen, E.K.H.J. & Sutherland, W.J. (2020) Bird Conservation. Pages 137-281 in: W.J. Sutherland, L.V. Dicks, S.O. Petrovan & R.K. Smith (eds) What Works in Conservation 2020. Open Book Publishers, Cambridge, UK.

Where has this evidence come from?

List of journals searched by synopsis

All the journals searched for all synopses

This Action forms part of the Action Synopsis:

Bird Conservation

Related Actions

Actions	Effectiveness	Studies	Category
Use perch-deterrents to stop raptors perching on pylons Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link
Add perches to electricity pylons to reduce electrocution Action Link	Unlikely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link
Bury or isolate power lines to reduce incidental bird mortality Action Link	Likely to be beneficial	1	Synopsis Link