We first explored this topic in 2015 when @mmoulton sent us this photo on Twitter of one of the small reflective squares hanging from SRP power lines in Gilbert and asked us what it was. It’s a great question, and we’re guessing other folks may be wondering the same thing.
SRP’s bird flight diverters help keep the lights on and birds safe
They’re called bird flight diverters, and they glow in the dark, spin and reflect light to get birds’ attention.
Did you know that bird-related incidents are the third-largest threat to the power grid? Bird flight diverters — or the “spinning things on power lines” as some folks call them — serve a dual purpose: They help keep the lights on and help preserve wildlife.
The lines @mmoulton asked about are north of a nesting site for Neotropic cormorants, a migratory bird that breeds and forages at ponds and lakes in Chandler and Gilbert.
National Bird Day
National Bird Day is recognized on Jan. 5, and each year the Avian Welfare Coalition uses the opportunity to teach the public about different topics as they relate to birds. Perhaps you’re already a nature enthusiast, but if you’re not, have you ever stopped to wonder about the world’s only potentially dinosaur-descended creature?
Related article: The bald eagle nesting cam is back at Lake Pleasant and is ready to catch the start of a bald eagle family.
We recommend taking some time on Bird Day to enjoy the Arizona Game and Fish’s Bald Eagle Cam virtually or to admire some of Arizona’s 560-plus species of birds in person. Either way, be sure to keep an eye out for the Arizona state bird, the Cactus Wren.
Safety takes flight with the Avian Protection Program
SRP’s Avian Protection Program strives to balance system reliability, animal protection regulation compliance and wildlife preservation. The program works closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Arizona Game and Fish Department to help protect wildlife near electrical equipment.
When a bird makes contact with a live power line, both the power grid and Arizona’s wildlife are at risk. That’s why SRP is committed to implementing creative solutions, such as our Avian Protection Design and Construction Standards. These guidelines require SRP to add bird-friendly products to certain power poles and electric lines. Measures to protect wildlife include:
- Bird guards, covers and tubing
- Avian-friendly framing, including longer insulators
- Alternative perches to help keep birds off dangerous equipment
- Adding more bird flight diverters
In the event of an incident in which a bird makes contact with a power line without reflectors, SRP’s Avian Protection Program conducts an investigation and takes additional measures to prevent it from happening again in that location.
Thanks to @mmoulton for the great question, and if you notice any bird issues in or around SRP power facilities, please give us a call at (602) 236-BIRD.
Birds aren’t the only critters who get into trouble with power lines. See our post from when Wizard the Lizard was rescued by one of SRP’s troubleshooters.
IndoDivert™ – Bird Flight Diverter notifies birds about presence of power lines and other obstructions in their flying path.
Can I buy these for Residential use? My Mother, who is 87 and must use a walker, continuously goes outside (walker left behind) to shoo away Magpies off her clothes line. I am fearful she will fall one day, and as she is alone now my Dad has passed, I am looking for something to deter the birds, and her putting herself at risk of a fall. Can you help please. Janne
Hi Janne, thank you for your question. The bird diverters that we use are for commercial use only for the heavy-duty power lines. However, there are residential-use products available online or at home and garden stores that scare birds away. Perhaps you should start with a google search of “bird scare devices,” you may be able to find something.
LED Bird diverters are also widely used power transmission lines in Asian countries to protect “great Indian bustard” bird.