Prevent Toxic Tailing Pond Bird Kills with the Bird Wailer

Resolve Bird Problems at Tailing Ponds, Preventing Bird Kills with High Tech Audio Bird Deterrents 

Tailing ponds, also called mine dumps, oil sands, culm dumps, tails, leach residue, and retention ponds form as part of the process when materials are separated from valuable minerals and ore. Tailing dams are often the most significant environmental liability for a mining project. Oil sands producers are often fined millions of dollars when their tailing waste kills migratory birds.  But when responsible mining companies operate tailing ponds, they often incorporate the cost of rehabilitation, which includes installing or setting up bird deterrents to help prevent migratory bird kills.

What impact or considerations does tailing ponds have on Migratory birds?

The destructive impact the tar sands industry has had on land/forest globally has resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of birds, including protected migratory birds.  Preventing Tailing pond bird kills, including waterfowl, ducks, Sage Grouse and 100’s of other bird species, is good for the environment. 

How do you stop Tailing Pond Bird Kills?

Traditionally energy companies have installed Bird Netting over oil ponds and/or employed high tech audio bird scare devices like the Zon Gun Mark IV propane cannons stationed around the perimeter. Both of these systems can be effective, but have their drawbacks.

4" Bird Netting over contamination Pond

Bird Netting is often used over contamination ponds, but is labor intensive and can be very expensive. Moreover, the netting and perimeter support system must be installed correctly to accommodate the heavy ice / snow loads that is typical of tailing pond locations. If you choose to install Bird Netting, it needs to be installed by a professional bird control company with experience installing Netting over tailing ponds.

Audio Bird Deterrents:

The Zon Gun Mark 4 Propane Cannons can also help keep birds away with their loud booming blasts. Zon Gun Bird Scare Cannon's are often used at airports, agricultural farms and mine dumps. When using Zon Gun Mark 4 Cannons make sure you mount them on tripods with timers to increase coverage and effectiveness. The Zon Gun Bird Scare Cannons should also occasionally be moved and have the timing of the blasts randomized to avoid habituation to the predictable cannon sound.

Bird Wailer is highly effective at Preventing Tailing Pond Bird Kills

The Wetlands Bird Wailer

The Phoenix Agritech Wetlands Bird Wailer has been used successfully to prevent migratory bird kills at tailing ponds, oil sands, and retention ponds in Canada, United States and around the world. 

The Bird Wailer is the most advanced audio bird deterrent in the world and is very successful at preventing migratory kills birds and frightening away wildlife such as coyotes. The key to the Bird Wailer’s high success rate is its geographic / species-specific alarm / distress sounds and indigenous predator calls which are broadcast on a high-end audio system. 

This system utilizes a sweeping rotational surround sound system. The Bird Wailer distress calls are sent out at randomized intervals and varying lengths of time, which lessons the chance of habituation to the same sounds and eliminates human labor.  The Bird Wailers' super speakers will also redirect flocks of birds up to 3000’ feet, thereby preventing them from flying over and being tempted to land in the pond. Major corporations such as Conoco Phillips have successfully used the Bird Wailer for years to stop bird kills. The Bird Wailer bird deterrent is highly effective, proven and saves tens of thousands of dollars on product, installation and maintenance costs.

“I would like to inform you that we have been very pleased with the Phoenix Wailer electronic bird deterrent system we purchased from you three years ago.”

Mike Acker
Environmental Scientist
Phillips 66

Learn about the Bird Wailer in this video:

Combine Audio Deterrents with Visual Bird Deterrents

All bird scare products work best when used in combination with each other, as they increase the bird’s fear and flight response to the perceived predator threat. While in most cases the Bird Wailer will prevent oil sand bird kills, it never hurts to incorporate additional bird deterrents.  Along with the Bird Wailer we recommend installing a series of visual bird deterrents above the pond and when possible floating on the water.  If there are cables or lines above the mine dumps, clip on a Holographic Bird Scare Flash Strip, Holographic Bird Scare Flash Strip, Dead Crow Bird Scare Decoy, Fire Eye Bird Diverter Device.  But don’t use the provided croc clip, instead, use a clip that can be secured tightly around the cable and be able to withstand high winds.  These same bird deterrents can also be installed on a life preserver using a Whip Rod Kit to float on the water. Also to up the confusion level for the birds, as back up, add a couple of Zon Gun Mark 4 Cannon or the Zon Gun Electra Scare Cannon around the perimeter. 

* A combination of audio / visual products should be deployed and re-located as birds react. 

Contact us at mark@birdsgottago.com with details about your bird problem and we can work with you to determine the best bird control products to deter the birds from your property.

BirdsGottaGo.com

1-855-741-3222

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