NorthWestern Energy specialistsâ paper on bird mitigation to prevent transmission outages published in scientific journal
Butte, Mont. - Jan. 29 2021 - The first documented sighting of a common raven on the Billings Audubon Christmas Bird Count occurred in 1979. Today populations of the bird have increased significantly in the Treasure State and also across the country. Ravens thrive around humans and the food sources such as landfills that humans create.
Ravens are now a challenge for energy companies because their numbers -flocks of thousands. They roost on power lines and leave droppings on insulators. When the dried droppings combine with fog or light rain, it creates the perfect opportunity for outages.