Safe Power Lines for Birds in Dobrogea

Bird electrocution mortality is a major conservation issue

Daniel Onea, 31.01.2025, 13:00

Bird electrocution mortality is a major conservation issue, affecting birds of prey in particular. Uninsulated medium-voltage power lines, which are frequently used by these birds as a stopover when hunting or resting, constitute one of the greatest risks for these species. The Romanian Ornithological Society has installed 1,000 insulating sheaths on medium-voltage poles located in the nesting territories of the Danube falcon (Falco cherrug – Lat.)

Ciprian Fântână is a conservation manager at the Romanian Ornithological Society and coordinator of the activity in Romania for the international project “LIFE for Falcons”, carried out in Bulgaria and Romania.

“It is a project that started in 2021. It runs until 2026 and aims to conserve the Danube falcon population in southern Romania and Bulgaria. The Danube falcon is an endangered species of falcon, typical of the steppe lands, which, in Romania, we encounter in two distinct populations. We have the Pontic population in Dobrogea and the Pannonian population, in the Western Plain, a continuation of the population in Hungary. The population we work with, the Pontic population, is part of a population that also includes southern Moldova, Ukraine, and extends to southern Russia. In Romania, the two populations have different dynamics. The Pannonian population, in the west of the country, seems to be doing well due to the fact that it has benefited from several conservation programs, and the Pontic population has a completely distinct trend. It is in decline. We only have seven or nine pairs of falcons in the Pontic population and for this reason, in this project, we only deal with the political population.”

Until the actual implementation of the project, a study was carried out whose results are essential for the conservation of biodiversity. The results are the basis for developing effective protection measures, aimed at reducing the risks to the population of Danube falcons in Romania, a species declared endangered and included on the Red List, both in Romania and in Bulgaria. We learned from Ciprian Fântână, conservation manager, that the central area of Dobrogea was identified as the region with the most victims, and the poles here were designated as having priority for insulation within the international project “LIFE for Falcons”, implemented in Romania by the Romanian Ornithological Society.

“The study targeted the known territories of Danube falcons from the Pontic population, respectively within a radius of 10 kilometers around the nest, we investigated each power line to see the risk of electrocution. For this, we analyzed around 3,700 poles and investigated which species are electrocuted and in what number. There were several thousand birds. Around 13% of the investigated poles had at least one victim electrocuted. Based on that study, we captured the critical areas where we need to intervene through a conservation activity aimed at isolating dangerous poles. For insulation, there are some rubber sleeves, which are placed in the area of the insulators, and considerably reduce the risk of electrocution. We identified the critical areas, after which we managed, through a partnership with Rețele Electrice România, to complete the activity. We identified the dangerous poles, we purchased the insulating sheaths, and, further, Rețele Electrice România contributed its own funds to the installation of these insulating sheaths on the insulators on the poles. This year we will start monitoring the effects of this conservation activity. We believe that it will significantly reduce the risk of electrocution, but this must be proven with data. We have no fears that it will not be so, because the technique has already proven its effectiveness in many conservation projects. We will check the poles to see if there are any electrocuted victims.”

The Romanian Ornithological Society collaborated with Rețele Electrice România, the electricity distribution operator in this area, which involved a significant number of specialists, both for the development of the feasibility study and the technical project, and for the field work. In total, 30 specialists, grouped in 10 teams, intervened on the field with special equipment for carrying out the work at a height. In addition, other activities were carried out, says Ciprian Fântână, conservation manager at the Romanian Ornithological Society and coordinator of the activity in Romania for the international project “LIFE for Falcons”.

“60 artificial nests were set up for the species. Some are video monitored to reduce the risk of chicks disappearing. These falcons are of particular importance in falconry activities. Sometimes, there are cases, especially in Bulgaria, but also in Ukraine, where chicks are taken from the nest for these activities. To protect these populations that we have in southeastern Romania, we have also installed surveillance cameras to monitor activity around the nest.”

An interesting aspect, from behind the scenes of monitoring, is that the probability of finding an electrocuted Danube falcon is extremely low.

“It is extremely low because there are very few of them and, once electrocuted, the corpses usually disappear quickly from under the pole because they are consumed by macrophage mammals, like foxes or jackals. When you do the monitoring, you can find what has died in recent days. Sometimes, you can also find skeletons, but that is when there are thickets or denser vegetation at the base of the pole, which does not allow the scavengers to collect that corpse. We, based on what we found, identified the dangerous poles. On those poles, there is the highest probability that a Danube falcon will be electrocuted. They are near their nest or in their territory, and there birds are constantly being electrocuted. Somehow, they are used by the birds as observation points. Of those several thousand birds found, most were corvids, followed by storks, and then by species of birds of prey. In particular, buzzards, kestrels, but there were also short-toed snake eagles. The latter is also a protected species, and uses poles a lot during the migration period, because they sleep on them. They migrate during the day, and in the evening they look for a place to rest. Very often, the only places to rest, where they are not disturbed, are medium-voltage poles. They sit on them and, often, get electrocuted. They also have a larger wingspan, so, percentage-wise, the most were corvids, followed by storks.”

Reducing the causes that lead to the disappearance of the Danube falcon, such as mortality by electrocution, the lack of nesting sites and favorable habitats for feeding, and the persecution that the birds face in their breeding areas, represents one of the pillars on which the strategy of this project, co-financed by the European Union’s “LIFE” program, is built.