Watch EDM’s award winning film Raptors on the Line! Raptors and power lines have a complicated symbiotic relationship. They use them to perch, hunt and even nest, especially in landscapes where the power pole gives them the best vantage point to see prey. But their body size exposes them to the risk of electrocution by bridging two conductors and completing an electric circuit. In the 1970's, a handful of scientists and researchers discovered that Golden Eagles were being electrocuted, largely in the American West. Over the next decade, that discovery led to further investigations into the biology of raptor electrocution and preliminary findings on how power pole engineering could provide a solution. After more than 20 years, and through the tireless work of the expert environmental services team at EDM International, utility companies in the U.S. are making incredible progress on reducing raptor deaths. There is much work to be done though. Developing countries are specifically a challenge, and recent discoveries of avian electrocution caused wildfires bring renewed urgency to retrofit and implement avian-friendly construction standards across the industry.

ISSUE WITH THE BEMS LINK
Video: Raptors at Risk EDM’s role is often that of educator through serving as host or participant in workshops on animal interactions with electric utility infrastructure. Educational projects include the development of an interactive web site on raptor electrocutions for the California Energy Commission, http://bems.edmlink.com, and a product encyclopedia of mitigating products for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). EDM co-produced the award winning video/DVD “Raptors at Risk,” as well as a photographic field guide for identifying raptor remains. To purchase these publications and view a list of the Environmental Services Group publications, please contact us at the number below or via email.
Click here to order a copy of the "Raptors at Risk" video.