PNM workers install hundreds of perch diverters along a main power transmission line (Photo courtesy of PNM)
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Earlier this summer, high winds in the Rio Grande Park caused a great horned owlet to fall over 50 feet from its nest, away from its family and unable to feed.
Nearby neighbors spotted the baby
owl on the ground and came together, along with several local bird protection organizations, to help rehabilitate and eventually reunite it with its family.
“It was just a sort of harrowing experience, but it was very popular,” Penny Elliston, president of Wildlife Rescue Inc. New Mexico said. “I mean there were just hundreds of people who were involved in this.”
As a founder, Elliston has been working with Wildlife Rescue for over 40 years. The nonprofit, which runs with thousands of volunteers, helps to rehabilitate all kinds of animals across the state before they are released back into the wild, Elliston said.
The owlet reunion was made possible not only because of the community and Wildlife Rescue, but also with guidance from local organizations such as Hawks Aloft, Inc. and a PNM crew, Elliston said.
PNM’s Avian Protection Program dates back to 2006. Since then, it has rehabilitated many of its structures and equipment to prevent them from causing bird deaths, created educational programs to promote and teach about avian protection and has been one of the primary supporters of local organizations dedicated to the same efforts, according to Shannon Jackson, a PNM spokeswoman.
“On one side, it’s about protecting and maintaining New Mexico’s wildlife but on the other side it’s making sure we have a reliable system,” Jackson said. “Balancing those two is very much a priority, because we want to make sure to protect our wildlife and our avian creatures, but also make sure that we are able to provide power for the customers that we serve.”
Between 12 million and 64 million bird deaths each year are caused by US power lines, according to a PLOS One 2014 study. PNM Environmental Services Project Manager Sharon Brown said the company has long focused on reducing these numbers.
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Brown said they successfully completed a project in which over 400 perch diverters were installed along one of the main transmission lines in the state. Due to the high voltage these lines carry – up to 375,000 volts – crewmen have to be flown in via helicopter to install the diverters.
It’s not an easy feat, as PNM crews often have to work with the power still on while also being mindful of bird nests that can’t be moved or disturbed, Jackson said. The perch diverters help direct birds to safer spots along the line where they’re less likely to be electrocuted and also reduce the possibility of power outages.
Safety precautions can’t prevent some birds from getting injured from time to time. While PNM has a special permit to collect injured birds, they are usually passed along to a local nonprofit organization that can provide professional veterinary care.
Hawks Aloft, Inc. is one of the oldest such organizations currently working in the state. It was created in 1994 by Gail Garber, who still works with the organization. She said the group initially specialized in hawks but evolved to help all kinds of birds, mostly raptors, throughout the state.
According to Garber, Hawks Aloft volunteers currently monitor all birds in the Middle Rio Grande bosque. She said each volunteer is assigned a small patch of land, and they are responsible for monitoring all the known nests in their area.
Hawks Aloft is responsible for creating the New Mexico raptor rescue hotline, which started in 2014 and answers calls every day of the year, according to Garber. Despite its name, the hotline can be used to report any kind of injured bird. Garber said the hotline gets around 700 calls per year, and the organization takes in approximately 200 to 300 birds for rehabilitation each year.
“You know people have always found injured birds – but they didn’t know what to do with them and there was no single phone number that anybody could call to try and find help for an injured bird.” Garber said.
Garber said every bird that gets reported through the hotline is located and rescued by volunteers who often venture into the wild to do so. Hawks Aloft works with several local veterinary clinics to ensure every rescued bird receives the best attention.
The four clinics that help Hawks Aloft are Acequia Animal Hospital, Petroglyph Animal Hospital, Eye Care for Animals and Coronado Animal Hospital, Garber said.
Birds rescued by Hawks Aloft are sent to a local clinic where they are treated with cutting edge technology, Garber said. She recalled an instance in which a small bird that couldn’t fly was able to get a CT scan on the same day it was brought in.
“If you wanted a CT scan you couldn’t get one the same day, you probably couldn’t get one for months,” Garber said. “It is state of the art medical care and it is because these veterinarians and these clinics donate their time and services and expertise for these birds.”
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