LIFE PowerLines4Birds | Conservation of Endangered Birds

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We help the conservation of endangered birds

We help the conservation of endangered birds

We are committed to reducing the impact of power lines and the risk of electrocution and collision for 7 priority bird species.

Intervention areas

Intervention areas

The project covers 23 Special Protection Areas (SPA) of the Natura 2000 Network. The majority of populations of threatened target species are found in these areas.

The LIFE PowerLines4Birds project aims to reduce the impact of powerlines for the conservation of threatened birds in the Iberian Peninsula.

This project will be ongoing until April 2027 and is funded by the EU in more than 4 million euros and it aims to reduce the impact of power lines on several species of birds that are vulnerable to this threat or in danger of extinction in Portugal and Spain.

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The threatened species

Power lines represent a risk of collision and electrocution for birds, including these 7 priority bird species.

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Cinereous Vulture Cinereous Vulture
Aegypius monachus
Egyptian vulture Egyptian vulture
Neophron percnopterus
Spanish Imperial Eagle Spanish Imperial Eagle
Aquila adalberti
Great bustard Great bustard
Otis tarda
Little bustard Little bustard
Tetrax tetrax
Montagu's Harrier Montagu's Harrier
Circus pygargus
European Roller European Roller
Coracias garrulus
Collision with power lines
Collision with power lines

Collision with electrical cables is one of the biggest threats to the lives of some species represented in this project. In Portugal, there were 37 collisions with power lines (2003-2020).

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Bird electrocution
Bird electrocution

The risk of bird electrocution is typically associated with the use of power lines for landing. This risk is especially high during young individuals' first flights.

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Project actions aimed at reducing mortality of threatened bird species

Promote the conservation of target species by reducing the risk of interaction with power lines.

Ensure safe breeding and feeding areas with less dangerous interactions with power lines

Promote a significant reduction in bird mortality due to the interaction with power lines in Natura 2000 SPA and adjacent areas through the widespread implementation of existing best practices

Promote training in electricity companies and government entities and increase the reporting of incidents by professionals.

Increase the ability to identify and predict mortality hotspots in power lines

Promote networking with other projects, strengthening the conservation efforts of projects that are working with this and other threats to the target bird species.

Notícias

Eco-crossbar: An Innovative Device for the Protection of Birdlife
Eco-crossbar: An Innovative Device for the Protection of Birdlife

An innovative solution has been implemented to combat one of the main causes of unnatural mortality in birdlife: collisions and electrocutions on medium-voltage power lines.

03 Dec 2025

LIFE PL4B at the Birdwatching Festival and Nature Activities
LIFE PL4B at the Birdwatching Festival and Nature Activities

SPEA held a workshop on the interaction between power lines and birdlife and presented the new bird incident reporting module in the E-REDES application.

20 Oct 2025

Behind the scenes of the LIFE PowerLines4Birds project
Behind the scenes of the LIFE PowerLines4Birds project

The cameras are already rolling in the project's intervention areas.

24 Sep 2025