2017

Natuurpunt and Elia have been working together since 2012 to reduce wire casualties in Belgium. In two comprehensive studies (Derouaux et al., 2012 and Verbelen et al., 2015), Natuurpunt, Natagora, Vogelbescherming Vlaanderen and the Institute for Nature and Forest Research already formulated a number of concrete recommendations. In 2017, the question arose whether specifically Woodcock is particularly sensitive to high-voltage power lines, on the one hand because this species is mainly active at dusk, and on the other hand because a number of forest areas where Woodcock occurs as a breeding bird are intersected by such lines. To answer this, surveys were conducted in three areas in 2017 during the breeding season of this species. In Wallonia, a similar survey was conducted by Natagora in 2017.