LIFE SafeLines4Birds – Reducing bird mortality caused by power lines

Collision with power lines, electrocution while perching and disturbance during their breeding season are major threats for some birds, causing the death of millions of individuals world-wide each year, and in some cases posing a real threat to population viability.

Some European species are more vulnerable given their size, morphology, behaviour, and distribution. Thus, the project targets 13 species most impacted by power lines in France, Belgium and Portugal: Little Bustard, Bearded Vulture, Bonelli’s Eagle, Cinereous Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Kestrel, Common Crane, Osprey, White Stork, Black Stork, Eurasian Woodcock, Eurasian Curlew, Northern Lapwing. 

SafeLines4Birds project relies on four main goals: 1) reducing bird collision; 2) reducing bird electrocution; 3) reducing bird disturbance, and 4) improving and sharing knowledge across Europe.

To tackle collision, new anti-collision devices will be tested, such as the American Avian Collision Avoidance System (ACAS), which uses UV light on power lines to make them more visible to birds at night. Moreover, the project aims to install 3,880 anti-collision devices on the most dangerous sites and test innovative installation methods, such as the use of drones. In some cases, lines will also be replaced by underground cables to eliminate the risk for birds in high-risk areas. To reduce electrocutions, dangerous power poles will be retrofitted and insulated, and deterrence devices installed at the higher risk sites. Platforms and perches will also be set up to protect birds that roost or nest. Finally, to avoid disturbance, grid maintenance and surveillance methodologies will be adapted – where possible in line with the breeding periods of the target species – to improve their breeding success.

All results collected will be shared in an open and standardised way, benefiting the understanding about bird-grid interactions and the effectiveness of the tested mitigation measures. A SafeLines4Birds open digital platform will be created to centralise all technical information gathered during the project. This will facilitate the dissemination of knowledge regarding technical innovations and equipment across Europe and, through this, support the replication of actions in other countries.

The project is coordinated by the Ligue Pour La Protection des Oiseaux (LPO France), the French branch of BirdLife. The success of the actions will rely on the collaboration of 14 additional consortium partners, which include Transmission System Operators from France and Belgium (RTE and Elia), Distribution System Operators from France and Portugal (Enedis and E-Redes), French local NGOs (LPO Pays De La Loire, LPO Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes, LPO Occitanie and LPO Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur), environmental NGOs from Belgium and Portugal (Natuurpunt, Natagora and SPEA) and scientific experts from Portugal and the United States (BIOPOLIS-CIBIO and EDM International) and the non-profit organization Renewables Grid Initiative.

BIOPOLIS-CIBIO’s team has vast experience researching bird interactions with power lines, as well as evaluating mitigation and monitoring methods of bird mortality at energy infrastructures. In the LIFE SafeLines4Birds project, they will be primarily involved in the testing of devices and technologies to monitor and reduce bird collisions with power lines, including the ACAS. BIOPOLIS-CIBIO will oversee the design of the field experiments that will take place both in France and Belgium and then conduct the data analysis to validate the various devices and technologies tested throughout the project.

For more information: https://www.safelines4birds.eu/