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Some birds are 'blind' to power lines

BIRMINGHAM, England, Nov. 2 (UPI) -- Birds fly into power lines because they have "blind spots" in their field of vision when in flight, British researchers say.

Scientists at the Centre for Ornithology at the University of Birmingham say many types of birds are unable to see obstacles straight ahead when they tilt their heads downwards in flight to find fellow birds or locate nesting and feeding areas, the BBC reported Tuesday.

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Millions of birds are killed by hitting power lines every year, researchers say, and the new finding suggests the problem cannot be overcome by altering the appearance of power lines through the use of reflective markers and high-visibility tags.

Certain species have high mortality rates from power line crashes.

Kori bustards, blue cranes and white storks have significant blind areas to the front of their heads, researchers found.

"These birds can see straight ahead in flight but they only need to pitch their heads forward by a small amount and they will be blind in the direction of travel," Birmingham Professor Graham Martin says.

Conservationists cite power line incidents as a key factor in the population decline in blue cranes, the BBC said.

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