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 Arizona Public Service (APS), one of the state's largest utility providers, has worked diligently to protect native wildlife from having any negative encounters with their power lines and equipment. Companies such as APS are able to use specialized covers, made from non-conductive materials, to use on any type of pole construction to keep wildlife safe.
Recently near Surprise, two nests were discovered, both built on equipment that is mounted on utility poles. To avoid any injuries to the nesting birds, as well as fires or power outages, APS requested the assistance of Liberty Wildlife to move the nests to a safer location. The request was certainly not unusual at this time of year; APS and Liberty Wildlife have partnered together for many years and have been incredibly successful with the ongoing project of moving nests from such locations. APS has devised a platform used to house the naturally built nest specifically for these situations.
The first nest had been recently claimed by a great horned owl, the most common owl in the state, and was occupied by two eggs. The nest was built on top of a transformer, exposing it to high-voltage contact points. Previous research has determined that many avian species are highly likely to abandon a nest with eggs if disturbed, but not if the nest is occupied with chicks. In this situation, Liberty Wildlife was able to remove the eggs from the nest and allow a foster owl of the same species to incubate and naturally raise the young. This allowed the nesting pair of owls to lay a second clutch of eggs in the safe nest provided.
The second nest was built on top of a regulator bank, approximately 2 miles from the nest mentioned above. This nest was built by an extremely territorial pair of red-tailed hawks and was occupied by eggs. APS engineers were able to survey the site and determine that the nest could wait to be moved until the eggs hatch, ensuring the success of the active nest. Liberty Wildlife will continue to monitor this nest until the eggs have hatched and the young have reached an ideal age for movement. A nesting platform will be erected and the nest moved at that time. Liberty Wildlife biologists will monitor the project to ensure the adult hawks display normal parental care following the nest move.
These two unique situations are clear examples of the individual requirements these types of events demand and the biological expertise involved. Arizona is fortunate to have utility companies who care about such human/wildlife conflicts. Liberty Wildlife also partners with the Salt River Project (SRP) local utility company. Stay tuned to Nature News for a recent and extremely unusual project with SRP.
Laura Chambers
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