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Location
Saratoga Springs, NY
Start Date
4-5-2009 12:00 AM
Description
Hazing at oil spills can reduce bird mortalities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Firefly Pond Diverter™ (Firefly Diverters LLC, Grantsville, UT), a device that floats on the water and is claimed to use motion, reflectivity, and ultraviolet (UV) and visible light emissions to alert and repel birds. The diverter could be useful at a spill, but little is known about how waterbirds would respond. The objectives of this study were to determine if waterbirds were repelled to a greater degree by the diverter compared to a simple novel object (a life ring), to identify the species that responded to the diverter, and determine if birds habituate to the diverter. The study was conducted in December 2007 in a stormwater retention basin in Woodland, California. We divided the study into a 3-day pretreatment period and a 6-day treatment period and counted birds in the morning and afternoon each day. On each day during the treatment period we randomly selected 2 areas of the basin and anchored 2 diverters in one area and 2 life rings in a second area. We moved the diverters and the life rings to new locations daily. During the bird counts we recorded all birds within 15.2 m of each diverter or life ring. For the basin as a whole, we found the temporal pattern of use (fewer birds present in the morning than the afternoon) and number of birds using the basin did not change with the deployment of the diverters and life rings. Species composition was similar during the pretreatment and treatment periods. Gulls, geese, and diving ducks accounted for over 90% of the birds, with gulls most numerous. We observed 7 and 9 species of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters and life rings, respectively. Gulls represented 91% and 81% of the birds near the diverters and the life rings, respectively. There was no difference in the number of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters or the life rings. There also was no difference in the number of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters or > 15.2 m from the diverters. We found the same relationship for the life rings. After field work concluded we were informed that rotation of the flappers on the diverters and an ultraviolet index (UVI) >2 were critical for the diverter to function. During the treatment period there was wind sufficient to spin the flappers during 7 of 12 counts. We observed birds within 15.2 m of the diverters on 6 out of 7 counts with wind. As reported in local newspapers, the UVI was never >2 during the treatment period. If UV radiation has any effect on performance, then December, a month with low UVI values in northern California, was not the optimum time to test. The diverters did not repel birds during this study. It is not known if the diverters will repel birds during conditions of higher UVI. Additional research should be undertaken.
Recommended Citation
Gorenzel, W. P., Salmon, T. P., & Haffner, C. (2009). Evaluation of a floating bird diverter. In Boulanger, J. (Ed.), The Thirteenth Wildlife Damage Management Conference (197-204). Saratoga Springs, NY: Thirteenth WDM Conference.
Included in
Evaluation of a Floating Bird Diverter
Saratoga Springs, NY
Hazing at oil spills can reduce bird mortalities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the Firefly Pond Diverter™ (Firefly Diverters LLC, Grantsville, UT), a device that floats on the water and is claimed to use motion, reflectivity, and ultraviolet (UV) and visible light emissions to alert and repel birds. The diverter could be useful at a spill, but little is known about how waterbirds would respond. The objectives of this study were to determine if waterbirds were repelled to a greater degree by the diverter compared to a simple novel object (a life ring), to identify the species that responded to the diverter, and determine if birds habituate to the diverter. The study was conducted in December 2007 in a stormwater retention basin in Woodland, California. We divided the study into a 3-day pretreatment period and a 6-day treatment period and counted birds in the morning and afternoon each day. On each day during the treatment period we randomly selected 2 areas of the basin and anchored 2 diverters in one area and 2 life rings in a second area. We moved the diverters and the life rings to new locations daily. During the bird counts we recorded all birds within 15.2 m of each diverter or life ring. For the basin as a whole, we found the temporal pattern of use (fewer birds present in the morning than the afternoon) and number of birds using the basin did not change with the deployment of the diverters and life rings. Species composition was similar during the pretreatment and treatment periods. Gulls, geese, and diving ducks accounted for over 90% of the birds, with gulls most numerous. We observed 7 and 9 species of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters and life rings, respectively. Gulls represented 91% and 81% of the birds near the diverters and the life rings, respectively. There was no difference in the number of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters or the life rings. There also was no difference in the number of birds within 15.2 m of the diverters or > 15.2 m from the diverters. We found the same relationship for the life rings. After field work concluded we were informed that rotation of the flappers on the diverters and an ultraviolet index (UVI) >2 were critical for the diverter to function. During the treatment period there was wind sufficient to spin the flappers during 7 of 12 counts. We observed birds within 15.2 m of the diverters on 6 out of 7 counts with wind. As reported in local newspapers, the UVI was never >2 during the treatment period. If UV radiation has any effect on performance, then December, a month with low UVI values in northern California, was not the optimum time to test. The diverters did not repel birds during this study. It is not known if the diverters will repel birds during conditions of higher UVI. Additional research should be undertaken.