Power lines in Romania’s Dobrogea region get safety upgrades to protect birds

Bird mortality due to electrocution is a major conservation issue, with uninsulated medium-voltage power lines, often used by birds as resting spots, posing one of the greatest risks to these species. In this context, the Romanian Ornithological Society (SOR) partnered with Rețele Electrice România to install insulating sleeves on medium-voltage poles in the central area of the Dobrogea region.

A study conducted by SOR's LIFE for Falcons team in 2024 has highlighted a significant conservation issue in Dobrogea, a key region for the Danube falcon population in southern Romania.

For two months, the team inspected 3,764 power poles in the Danube falcon nesting territories in the region, discovering that 13.4% of the poles had at least one bird electrocuted beneath them. A total of 28 bird species were found as victims, with corvids (72.9%) - including magpies and jackdaws - being the most common. Other species included storks, common buzzards, red kites, and sparrowhawks.

"Although no Danube falcon casualties were found, given the species' critically low numbers in southeast Romania, minimizing the electrocuting risk remains a priority," reads the press release.

The findings of this study are crucial for preserving biodiversity. They will form the basis for developing effective protection measures for the Danube falcon population, a species listed as endangered on the Red List in both Romania and Bulgaria.

The research identified horizontal insulator poles and metal crown poles as the most dangerous, with the central region of Dobrogea showing the highest number of fatalities. These poles have been prioritized for insulation under the LIFE for Falcons project, which is being implemented in Romania by SOR.

The project also involved collaboration with Rețele Electrice România, the electricity distribution operator in the area. A team of 30 specialists carried out on-site work with special equipment to install 1,000 insulating sleeves on the medium-voltage power lines in eight towns in Constanța county. These sleeves were installed on the 300 poles identified as the most dangerous for birds.

Installing the insulating sleeves has been completed, and the next step will be a follow-up study in 2025. The new data will be compared with the initial findings to evaluate the effectiveness of this conservation measure.

Reducing factors leading to the decline of the Danube falcon population, such as electrocution, lack of nesting sites, and habitat loss, is a fundamental part of the LIFE20 NAT/BG/001162 project. This regional strategy is co-funded by the EU's LIFE program.

(Photo source: SOR)