When you see a dead bird below a power line your first thought is likely that it died from electrocution. This is a common conventional wisdom, but a new study says it's wrong.

The study shows that a majority of birds found dead near power lines had been shot, not electrocuted. This study has profound implications for conserving birds, like bald eagles, and for figuring out the best ways to help them thrive.

Todd Katzner, research wildlife biologist with the Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center U.S. Geological Survey and Eve Thomason, research associate with the Raptor Research Center at Boise State University join Idaho Matters to tell us more about the study.