Kopački Rit Nature Park: Millions of birds die due to collisions with power lines

ZAGREB, 10 May (Hina) – On the occasion of World Migratory Bird Day, representatives of Kopački Rit Nature Park on Saturday stressed the need to install protective measures on artificial barriers such as power lines, which cause millions of bird deaths across Europe every year.

Large bird species with limited manoeuvrability, such as cranes, bustards, pelicans and swans, are particularly vulnerable to collisions with power lines.

The park highlighted that the Danube Basin is one of the most important migration corridors for birds.

“Birds migrate through the Danube Basin and surrounding regions because the Danube serves as one of the most important migratory corridors in Europe. Therefore, protecting the Danube Basin has become a priority, and certain improvements are already visible,” representatives of Kopački Rit Nature Park said.

In addition to power lines, electricity pylons can also pose a problem, as birds use them for resting or hunting prey because they provide excellent vantage points. A bird may suffer an electric shock if its wing and leg come into contact with two wires on a pylon, or with a wire and a metal console while landing or taking off.

In the vast majority of cases, the consequences are fatal. The most endangered species are larger birds of prey, such as eagles, buzzards and larger falcons, including the saker falcon.

The solution involves insulating dangerous pylons and installing specially modified consoles that reduce the risk of electrocution.

550 pylons and 96 substations have been insulated in Croatia

In Croatia, in cooperation with the power grid operating company “HEP Operator distribucijskog sustava”, around 550 pylons and 96 substations have been insulated in order to reduce the risk of bird fatalities. In addition, bird diverters have been installed along around 38 kilometres of 35 kV and 110 kV power lines.

(Photo: Tórizs István/CC BY-SA 3.0)

Over recent decades, Europe has lost approximately 15 to 25% of its bird population due to natural pressures such as pesticide use, habitat loss and climate change, as well as artificial barriers such as overhead power lines, which cause millions of bird deaths in Europe each year.

More than 1.5 billion birds migrate annually along Afro-Eurasian flyways in order to breed and raise their young. Birds migrating to and from Europe mainly use several major international migratory routes, among which the Central European Flyway, often referred to as the Adriatic Flyway, is crucial for birds travelling from Central and Northern Europe and Siberia towards Africa.