Following the identification of several cases of bird mortality by electrocution in the region of Tejo Internacional, the LIFE PowerLines4Birds project took action to correct the lines and protect avifauna.
Project monitors mortality associated with power lines
The LIFE PowerLines4Birds project aims to reduce the impact of power lines in order to improve the conservation of threatened birds in the Iberian Peninsula. As part of the monitoring work in the Tejo Internacional region, last February, technicians of the Portuguese NGO Quercus detected 26 cases of mortality due to electrocution. Among the electrocuted birds, two Cinereous Vultures (Aegypius monachus) were identified.
Of the various power lines monitored, one in particular stood out, about 25 kilometres long, where 17 cases of electrocution mortality were recorded: 13 Griffon Vultures (Gyps fulvus), two Short-toed Eagles (Circaetus gallicus), one Cinereous Vulture, and one unidentified raptor.
Swift action to correct power lines
Given the urgency of the situation, the partners in the LIFE PowerLines4Birds project coordinated to share information and identify solutions in order to speed up the process of correcting the identified power line. E-REDES, also a project partner, took the necessary steps so that at the beginning of July, the installation of anti-electrocution devices could start. This measure, known as the “combined solution”, involves insulating the cables near the poles. Quercus followed the installation of these devices in the field and will continue to monitor these power lines, ensuring that the measures are working correctly to prevent avifauna mortality by electrocution.
Combating the risks of electrocution and collision
The risk of electrocution of birds is typically associated with the use of power lines as perches. Contact between two conductors, or between a conductor and an element connected to the ground, allows current to pass through the bird’s body, causing electrocution. This risk is especially high during the first flights of young individuals, but is also related to the morphological and ecological characteristics of the species.
The interaction of birds with power lines can also result in mortality by collision when the bird strikes the overhead conductors. This is due to the difficulty birds have in seeing and avoiding these wires, partly because of the lateral placement of their eyes, which reduces frontal visual acuity. This risk varies between species depending on morphology, flight behaviour, phenology, and age.
The Cinereous Vulture is one of the species most threatened by electrocution and collision. In Portugal, despite its small breeding population, nine cases of electrocution mortality have been recorded since 2010. In addition to these, there have been other cases of mortality due to collision with power lines, factors that weigh heavily on the species’ recovery.
Mitigating the risk of electrocution involves correcting power lines by installing anti-electrocution devices, such as conductor protectors and fences that prevent birds from touching energised parts and pole supports. To prevent collisions, line-marking devices such as spirals, fireflies, swinging markers, or even luminous markers can be installed, along with other technological solutions still under testing.
Cooperation is key
Mitigating the risks of electrocution and collision depends on the timely detection of mortality hotspots, which can be achieved with good field and remote monitoring.
The LIFE Aegypius Return project – dedicated to the protection of the Cinereous Vulture in Portugal and western Spain – does not involve direct action on power lines, but rather field surveillance, tracking of birds fitted with GPS/GSM transmitters and cooperation with projects and organisations able to act in risk reduction, such as the LIFE PowerLines4Birds and SafeLines4Birds projects.
The LIFE Aegypius Return partners congratulate the LIFE PowerLines4Birds consortium for its swift action in correcting the dangerous lines identified in the Tejo Internacional region.
About LIFE Aegypius Return
The LIFE Aegypius Return project is co-financed by the European Union’s LIFE programme. Its success depends on the involvement of all the relevant stakeholders, and the collaboration of the partners: the Vulture Conservation Foundation (VCF), the coordinating beneficiary, and the local partners Palombar – Conservação da Natureza e do Património Rural, Herdade da Contenda, Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves, Liga para a Protecção da Natureza, Associação Transumância e Natureza, Fundación Naturaleza y Hombre, Guarda Nacional Republicana and Associação Nacional de Proprietários Rurais Gestão Cinegética e Biodiversidade.
