ACCESS THE COURSE AT THIS LINK:

https://www.conservationtraining.org/course/index.php?categoryid=151

Understanding interactions between birds and power lines

As much as energy development is necessary and it creates new opportunities for our societies, it also poses new threats to ecosystems, particularly if we speak about power lines. Electrocutions and collisions with these infrastructures represent one of the main factors of non-natural mortality for many species, specifically for certain species of raptors.

For this, reason, IUCN-Med has designed this e-learning training module with the double objective of providing basic information to anyone wishing to understand interactions of birds on power lines, including the impacts that these infrastructures have on this group, and to disseminate the main measures that can be taken to avoid or minimise these impacts.

Who is this course intended for?

This training module is intended for:

● technical experts working at electricity companies and public administration

● staff responsible for regional planning

● companies promoting energy development projects

● NGOs involved in bird conservation

● consultants and experts in biodiversity conservation

● academics (natural sciences, engineering, industry, etc.)

● general public interested in the preservation of our natural heritage and species.

The estimated time to complete this module is 1h -1h30h.

The course explores interactions between power lines and birds, including collisions and electrocutions, while suggesting an overall analysis of this issue and presenting some of the most effective solutions. More specifically, it describes the technical aspects of power lines and the existing solutions. Finally, it offers guidelines to manage these impacts and presents solutions. At this point, it emphasises the need for collaboration among the different professionals in the sector and all the actors involved

The mission of the IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation

In the last years, the IUCN Center for Mediterranean Cooperation has worked  on a series of activities to promote  cooperation between the different actors involved in the conservation of birds of prey and other sensitive groups in the Mediterranean, besides developing the capacities of stakeholders, as part of the MAVA Action Plan. M7-Initiative to reduce the mortality of migratory birds and vultures.

Additionally, IUCN-Med has developed a series of reference and training tools to grow awareness of the threats to these species and of the different prevention and mitigation measures that exist. Another tool created for this purpose is the e-faunalert mobile application, which allows the collection of data on electrocution events or collisions with power lines. A new improved version of this app has also been recently launched.

https://e-faunalert.org/

These tools are intended to improve understanding of conservation issues related to electrical infrastructures, aiming to identify best management practices and to improve the effectiveness of these practices in persevering existing biodiversity around their operational sites.

For more information on IUCN's work, please visit: 

https://www.iucn.org/regions/mediterranean/projects/current-projects/reducing-human-duced-mortality-priority-species

Image : © M. Radi (GREPOM)