The Powerline Peepers are a team of New Jersey Audubon Research Department staff, PSE&G employees, and independent consultants. We are sponsored by Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G), and this will be our fifth year competing in the World Series of Birding. On May 10th, we will be counting species along PSEG’s rights-of-ways and at other New Jersey Audubon research sites throughout the state. Over the past four years, we have counted a cumulative total of 182 species on the rights-of-way. This year, we are hoping to beat our previous single-day WSB record of 162 species, and add some new species to our cumulative total!
Our primary objectives are to raise awareness of the importance of PSE&G’s rights-of-way as habitat for a wide diversity of species, to highlight the long-standing partnership between New Jersey Audubon and PSE&G, and to raise funds to support our ongoing research efforts. Through this partnership, we have been able to document bird species along transmission line rights-of-way, identify critical habitat for species like Golden-winged Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, and Prairie Warbler, and assess species response to targeted habitat management activities through surveys and nest monitoring. Results are used to guide ongoing management actions that aim to improve habitat while meeting PSE&G’s high level of transmission line safety and reliability.
Please consider supporting the PSE&G Powerline Peepers and New Jersey Audubon’s research efforts!
