By Sherry F. Pruitt

Migratory birds can't see very well; their travels are often compromised by night flights or inclement weather; and there's a theory that they become disoriented after being attracted to the red or strobe lighting of communication towers.

The Department of Biological Sciences at Arkansas State University has received a grant to study the reasons migratory birds crash into communication towers, and researchers will be able to make recommendations for bird-friendly towers.

Primary project leader and manager Erin Macchia, a doctoral student in the environmental sciences program, will start in January on an experimental and systematic project that has the potential to decrease the number of migratory bird crashes into communication towers.

The Arkansas Game and Fish awarded a $156,400 grant to Dr. James Bednarz, professor of biological sciences, and Dr. Richard Grippo, assistant professor of biological sciences, the co-principal investigators of the 3-year project. The AG&F is demonstrating its progressiveness with this type of study, Bednarz said.

"Since migratory birds are protected," Bednarz said he expects communication tower officials to work with A-State, which will donate in-kind resources to the project.

The professor said the problem is greater than most people think.

At one tower in one night in Wisconsin -- Sept. 6, 1965 -- it was found that 7,085 migrating birds crashed into towers.

With more than 50,000 towers in the United States, it is estimated that millions of birds -- mostly migratory song birds and shore birds -- are killed because of those crashes. Researchers have documented the deaths of more than 200 species. Some species, whose populations are known to be declining, such as the woodcock, may be vulnerable to tower crashes, Bednarz noted.

However, much of the data are based on anecdotal reports, the professor said.

"They see the carcasses at the tower and do a count," he said.

Arkansas State will use an experimental and systematic assessment. Thirty-two of the 1,300 towers in Arkansas will be randomly chosen for the project. Sixteen towers in the Delta, and 16 from the highlands area -- Ozarks and Ouachita -- will be selected, he related.

"We'll look at four main features of towers that have been reported to contribute to mortalities," he said.

Plans are to look at lighting, height and structural differences, such as guide wires.

"There are two types of lights: strobe and red pulsing. We don't know if they attract or repulse birds," he said.

The difference between the Delta and mountainous regions will also be studied, as well as a variety of attributes, including weather, tower color and surrounding habitat.

"We think we can identify factors that either minimize or contribute to the mortality rate, and we can help design a more friendly tower," he said.

In addition to ASU-Jonesboro students, biology students from ASU branch campuses and other higher education institutions will be hired to work on the 3-year project that will look at spring and fall migration. Approximately three dozen biology students will be trained to work on the project.

"Students have to monitor the towers simultaneously," Bednarz said. "Observers will check the towers at sunrise."

Timing of the study is critical, Bednarz noted, because taller towers -- more than 500 feet high and in some cases in excess of 1,000 feet tall -- will be erected for future high-definition television reception.

"The substantial impact on our migratory birds is huge," he said. "Based on the study, we can recommend features to minimize bird collisions with towers."