Request to

Mining Claimants

on Federal Land

Help Eliminate

Hazards to Birds

and Other Wildlife

Mountain Bluebird

Cactus Wren © Mark Wagner/Wikipedia (Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 license)

BLM/WO/GI-13/001+3800+REV15

P-470

Western Flycatcher

Ladder-Backed Woodpecker

Western Meadowlark
Open-Pipe Mining Claim 

Markers Pose a Threat to

Birds and Other Wildlife 

Open-pipe mining claim markers, such as polyvinyl 

chloride (PVC) pipes, can be lethal to migratory birds 

and other wildlife. Small animals, particularly birds, 

mistake the openings of these markers as hollow areas 

suitable for roosting, nesting, or a way to gather together 

to pool body heat. Once inside, these animals become 

trapped by the smooth, narrow wall of the pipe, which 

prevents them from grappling their way back up or 

extending their wings to fly out. Death from dehydration 

or starvation follows. Cactus wrens, mountain bluebirds, 

western meadowlarks, flycatchers, and woodpeckers 

have all been found within open-pipe mining claim 

markers. While not all mine claims are marked with 

pipes, the existing open-pipe markers pose a threat to 

birds and other wildlife in many states.

Replace Markers to Prevent 

Unnecessary Deaths of Birds 

and Other Wildlife 

The BLM and its partners request the help of mining 

claimants to prevent the death of wildlife, including 

some birds that are protected by the Migratory Bird 

Treaty Act. You can prevent unnecessary deaths of birds 

and other wildlife by removing, replacing, or remediating 

all open-pipe markers on your active mining claim or 

site. Even if you did not use open-pipe markers to locate 

your mining claim or site, these markers may have been 

left on your claim by previous mining claimants.

What You Can Do to Help

• REPLACE all open or PVC pipes marking your active 

mining claim or site with wildlife-safe markers. All 

of the markers in Figure 1 are wildlife-safe. Be sure 

to consult state law to verify which wildlife-safe 

markers are allowable where your mining claim or 

site is located. 

• REMEDIATE open-pipe markers, if immediate 

replacement is not possible and your state still 

allows this type of marker. To remediate open-pipe 

markers and reduce the chances of wildlife deaths, 

fill or plug the open pipe or firmly cement a cap on 

the end.

• REMOVE and properly dispose of any open-pipe 

markers on your claim or site left by previous 

mining claimants. 

Thank you for your help in our effort to reduce the 

number of unnecessary bird and other wildlife deaths. 

Figure 1. Stone mounds; 

wooden posts; and 

solid, capped, or 

crimped metal posts are 

wildlife-safe. Consult 

state law to make 

sure your wildlifesafe marker complies 

with the posting 

requirements in your 

jurisdiction.

3’+

1’+

Stone

Mound

Wooden

Post

Metal

Post

3’+ 3’+

1’+

For more information, please visit http://www.blm.gov/rlkd.

A Student 

Conservation 

Association 

volunteer pulls 

a PVC mining 

claim marker on 

Nevada public 

lands in July 

2012.

This

dead

mountain

bluebird

was found

in a PVC mining

claim marker in

late November 2011

near Virginia City, Nevada.

A law in Nevada enables anyone to pull up 

claim marker stakes that are improperly set.