📋 Tender Overview
Start Date: 01/01/2023
End Date: 30/04/2027
Total Eligible Budget: 5,390,670 €
EU Contribution: 4,043,003 €
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
Overhead power lines present a danger to some birds due to the risk of collision and electrocution. In Portugal and Spain, they pose a major threat to several endangered bird species, including in Natura 2000 Special Protection Areas (SPAs). In Portugal, there are over 179,000 km of overhead low, medium and high voltage power lines distributed across the country. Of these, more than 9 000 km are in Natura 2000 sites, with over 2 700 km in the project’s target SPAs and adjacent areas. Bird mortality resulting from collision with and electrocution by power lines has been recorded for 107 species in Portugal and a nationwide report estimates deaths at 0.18 birds per pylon per year due to electrocution and 3.45 birds per km per year due to collisions. The 7 EU priority bird species targeted by the project are extremely vulnerable to this threat, with previous field surveys recording high mortality from collisions and electrocution.
OBJECTIVES
LIFE PowerLines4Birds aims to reduce the impact of power lines on 7 bird species that are highly vulnerable to electrocution and collision with lines. The project plans to substantially increase safe breeding and foraging areas by reducing the mortality risk from power lines in 23 cross-border SPAs (14 in Portugal and 9 in Spain). This should help provide better conditions for these bird species and improve populations in the Iberian Peninsula.
