Unflappable Raptor Puts Cellphone Carriers on Hold

Sprint Nextel is racing to build a complicated new coast-to-coast cellphone network. The carrier could move faster if it weren't for the birds.

It turns out the same towers Sprint is rigging with high-speed wireless technology to compete with Verizon Wireless and AT&T are a favorite nesting spot for ospreys. The big fish-eating raptors favor high perches with a clear approach—exactly what network engineers look for when putting up cellular sites. Throw in a flat top surrounded by railings, a typical design for cell towers, and you've got what looks like "nirvana to an osprey," said Eric Stiles, head of the New Jersey Audubon Society.