Bird kills have been reported for more than 100 years. Confused birds have flown into fires, monuments, street lights and airport ceilometers that measured cloud height. At communications towers, birds are killed in several ways. Some crash into girders and wires. Some accidentally spear each other with their beaks.
Disorientation sends others straight into the ground.
The aftermath is rarely seen. Towers commonly stand in sparsely populated areas, and raccoons and other scavengers quickly pick through the carnage. It's even more rare that a tower kill is witnessed as it takes place. The kills occur during spring and fall migrations, and at night, when songbirds travel to avoid the heat and daytime predators. Fog, mist or other weather increases the odds of trouble.