2020

Low and medium voltage electric power distribution lines are a feature of almost all landscapes and can be constructed with different materials and in shapes and sizes. The use of electricity requires an effective distribution system between the centres of production and consumption via a dense network of power lines. New power lines are being developed at an increasing pace, due to growing energy demands, and existing lines are being modernized. If not designed safely, distribution lines result in devastating impacts on birds, especially those that are medium and large-bodied, such as raptors (or "birds of prey”) – see Annex, and other wildlife species. Surprisingly, some "modernized” lines in certain countries (e.g., Mongolia or Morocco) are having a higher negative impact, due to dangerous configurations of pylons, especially those of metal or concrete with metal crossarms, which are more dangerous than some old traditional distribution power lines in some places where they were constructed with wood.

There are over 65 million km of medium- and high-voltage power lines across the world, with this figure rising at a rate of 5% each year (Jenkins et al., 2010[1]). The impact of these linear infrastructures includes the death by collision and electrocution of millions of birds and other animals, such as monkeys and bats, as well as habitat degradation and fragmentation  (see Martin-Martin et al., 2019[2]).

It goes without saying that underground distribution lines are 100 percent wildlife safe, since that is often not possible, this Reference Note ("Note”) provides simple-to-use guidance on how to prevent electrocution impacting on birds. The guidance provided here is especially relevant for projects financed by International Financing Institutions that have included this topic in associated environmental guidelines[3]. This note focuses nearly exclusively on distribution lines (6-66 kV) rather than on high-voltage transmission lines (> 66 kV) or low-voltage lines (110-400 V), which do not typically present an electrocution risk.