It's not clear how long the flame has been hurting birds, but the burner has been there for years
LYNDHURST -- A methane flare at a former landfill in Lyndhurst is burning migrating birds, local birders say.
A burner used to siphon off built-up methane at the remediated Kingsland Landfill is injuring birds, especially American kestrels, said Don Torino, executive director of the Bergen County Audubon Society.
The methane flame is nearly invisible and its heat travels high into the air, acting almost like a trap in the middle of what has become a perfect habitat for birds, Torino said. The flame burns the birds' feathers, leaving many unable to fly.
It's not clear how long the flame has been hurting birds, but the burner has been there for years, Torino said. The landfill closed in 1988 and was remediated as a passive open space in 1990.
The land has recovered to the extent that kestrels began coming back to the area in September. BCAS counted 10 kestrels in the area, and at least four injured, Torino said.
The Meadowlands is one of the best birding sites in the country, Torino said.
"In this significant wildlife habitat, we can't have a hazard like this continuing to go on," he said.
The American kestrel is declining in population due to habitat loss, and conservationists are fighting to keep it from becoming endangered, Torino said. He added that he has been speaking with officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to come up with a solution.
In the past, Fish and Wildlife agents have placed aluminum tops with sharp points on top of methane smokestacks.
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which owns the landfill, said it was also working with Fish and Wildlife and the state Department of Environmental Protection to "develop an appropriate and effective interim solution to this matter." The NJSEA works often with BCAS on environmental programs.
Fish and Wildlife has provided advice, spokeswoman Meagan Racey said, "such as removing or adding deterrents to nearby perches, and will be looking for a practical long-term solution that can be recommended to other facilities in the area."
Wayne Hasenbalg, CEO of NJSEA, said in a letter to Torino that the NJSEA hoped to eventually negotiate a contract with a company to collect methane from the landfill and eliminate the need for a flare.
Chris Soucy, executive director of the Raptor Trust, in Millington, said his organization has treated several of the injured birds. They are difficult to treat because they aren't fully incapacitated and can be difficult to capture.
However, their injuries make it tough for the birds to survive for long.
"They're not going to make a long migration," he said. "They're not going to survive a winter."
The main way to treat the birds is to wait--most birds molt each year, regenerating their feathers. However, some birds have more severe injuries.
One kestrel burned in Lyndhurst is in its second year at the Raptor Trust and still has not regrown its damaged feathers.
"It's possible that the feather follicles are damaged all the way to the skin," Soucy said.
Some birds with less severe burns can undergo a treatment called imping, essentially an transplant of a healthy feather from another bird. Soucy compared it to a hair extension. But it only works when a few feathers are damaged.
Torino asked anyone who sees an injured bird in the area to call BCAS at (201) 230-4983.
Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.