| Nearly 20 billion birds are killed in the United States each year by a number of anthropogenic causes, but one of the lesser-known threats are metal and PVC pipes. Open top pipes are prevalent across the landscape, as they are used for a multitude of agricultural, mining, and infrastructural purposes. Birds, herptiles, and small mammals are attracted to the pipes as a site for nesting or shelter but soon become trapped by the smooth interior and small diameter. Cavity-nesting birds are the most likely to enter these pipes, due to competition between species and a shortage of tree cavities in their natural habitat. Peer-reviewed research focusing on open top pipes as a hazard for wildlife is near nonexistent. I will inspect pipes on the land surrounding the Kern River Preserve in the South Fork Kern River Valley, California a Globally Important Bird Area. The goal of this study is to obtain a dataset on the presence/absence and taxa-specificity of wildlife mortalities in pipes, while measuring the influence of pipe dimensions and adjacent habitat type. This study will contribute to insufficient research on the negative impacts of these pipes that is necessary to support habitat restoration and pipe alteration projects. |