Small Change for Mining Claims, Big Impact on Migratory Birds

The Bureau of Land Management ("BLM") recently issued a policy to prevent wildlife mortalities in open, uncapped hollow pipes used on public land. The policy to reduce preventable wildlife mortalities can be found here.

Mining claims marked with uncapped PVC pipe are one target of the new policy.

These hollow and vertical PVC pipes are a danger to small animals and migratory birds that mistake the open space for the perfect place to nest and become trapped. Once inside, the smooth surface is too slick for the birds to climb out.

An article featured by Arizona Public Radio reported that the victims are typically cavity nesters such as mountain bluebirds, but woodpeckers, kestrels, owls, bats, lizards and small mammals also become trapped in the open pipes.  Reportedly, up to 30 animal corpses have been found in a single PVC mining claim marker, with at least one dead bird per pipe on average.