Fixing dangerous power lines

Repairing power line 5 April 2016

A huge threat to any large bird, which includes storks, eagles, buzzards, Eagle Owls, as well as Ospreys, is accidental electrocution when they perch or fly too near to some dangerous pylons or electrical lines. Sometimes the birds don’t even need to touch two wires with their wings; just being too close to the wires can cause an electrical arc that is fatal. We had the sad experience of losing one of our young birds released in 2015 to accidental electrocution. Fortunately the electricity company “Groupe E” quickly agreed to modify the dangerous power lines in the vicinity of our Osprey release site by insulating the problematic wires. They are also ready to implement a wider programme to modify or insulate in the coming years other electric pylons and power lines that are particularly dangerous to birds. While the risk of accidental collisions with electricity wires remains difficult to entirely exclude, ensuring that poorly designed pylons or power lines can no longer electrocute large birds is already a big step in the right direction.