City responds to concerns about wildlife deterrents on streetlights

Over the weekend, concerns emerged on social media regarding spikes seen on streetlights in Eagle Mountain. Some residents speculated that these spikes were installed by the City to deter birds of prey in Cedar Valley from perching on the lights.

Eagle Mountain City has clarified that it does not install spikes on its streetlights.

 “We value our wildlife populations, especially the raptors that are an iconic part of the valley,” says City Communications Manager Tyler Maffitt. “The City has zero plans to pursue placing spikes on its streetlights.”

The spikes in question were reported at the parking lot of Mountain Trails Elementary School, which is not owned by Eagle Mountain City.

Installing spikes on streetlights is a common practice in some areas of the state to prevent birds from perching, primarily for safety and maintenance reasons.

“In many areas like Cedar Valley where there once were few, if any, vertical structures, man has created lots of artificial habitat,” says City Wildlife Biologist Todd Black. “Like it or not, these are areas where we now have to mitigate and manage for human wildlife conflict.”

Birds of prey are known to build nests on streetlights, which can obstruct proper lighting function and create safety risks. Falling debris from nests can also pose hazards for vehicles and pedestrians. Additionally, bird waste can damage equipment or lead to unsightly and unhygienic conditions.

While these deterrents aim to protect both the birds and the infrastructure, Black emphasized that streetlights are not appropriate nesting habitats for raptors and could prevent the lights from working as designed.

“Putting some sort of deterrents to avoid electrocutions of raptors, birds from nesting where we don’t want them to nest are common and acceptable practices,” says Black.

Cedar Valley’s landscape has undergone significant changes over the past 25 years. Once nearly treeless and devoid of tall perching sites, the area now offers new opportunities for raptors to perch as development continues.

The City remains committed to managing that balance thoughtfully, according to Black, but will not pursue wildlife deterrent spikes on its streetlights.

While raptors benefit from increased perching opportunities, the City’s efforts focus on maintaining harmony between wildlife and urban infrastructure.

Residents with questions or concerns about wildlife management are encouraged to reach out to Eagle Mountain City for more information.