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Important night-roosts of waterbirds in Belgium (in red, the "very important" roost locations, in orange the "important" roost locations). Please note that the polygon outlines are larger than scale to make them easier to see. "Fairly important roosts" are not presented on this map.
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High- and very-high-voltage power lines have been identified as a major human-induced source of mortality for birds. When birds fly in large groups, or in poor visibility conditions, they can collide with these structures, in some instances in sufficiently large numbers to raise concern. Several international agreements on nature conservation ackno...
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Citations
... Voor België werd de eerste risicokaart afgewerkt in 2012 (Derouaux et al. 2012) en de kaart werd geactualiseerd in 2022 (Derauoux et al. 2020). In deze rapporten zijn ook meer details over de gebruikte methodiek te vinden. ...
For a long time the extent of the problem of bird mortality because of
powerlines collisions was underestimated for Belgian network operator
Elia. This changed in 2012 as the collaboration between Elia, Natuurpunt
and Natagora was started. During the process of compiling a Belgian
risk atlas, the availability of data and how to integrate them into a
model were important steps in the preparatory process. Elia’s willingness
to implement the use of this risk atlas in its business operations
was a crucial factor in making the Belgian airspace safer for flying birds.
Even though a collaboration between nature organizations and major
economic players (in this case the energy distribution sector) is not
immediately obvious, this is clearly the necessary step forward to take.
Even though a lot of work still needs to be done, the noble effort to cooperate
in this project, already led to a reduced impact on the number of
powerline victims in Belgium.
... By associating sensitivity maps and risk maps, priority areas for mitigation measures or measures to protect birds from dangerous power lines can be identified and the most suitable areas for the installation of new lines can be determined more precisely, together with the criteria for building them. A good example of such analysis is that carried out in Belgium on the collision risk for the high-voltage grid, which establishes eight levels of risk (Derouaux et al., 2012;Derouaux et al., 2020; Figure 164). ...
Guidelines for preventing and mitigating wildlife mortality associated with electricity distribution networks
... Our sensitivity mapping was commissioned by Elia, the transmission lines operator in Belgium. An earlier version of the risk map (Derouaux et al. 2012) was already used by the company to prioritise mitigation actions and to equip with wire marking around 115 km of lines until 2021 across Belgium (around 2% of all lines; data Elia). Some of this wire marking already took place before the production of the first version of the risk map, but already 7.4% of the transmission lines with a risk score higher than 80 are now equipped with wire marking (Elia data). ...
Mapping the relative risk of impact on nature by a human infrastructure at a landscape scale (“sensitivity mapping”) is an essential tool for minimising the future impact of new development or for prioritising mitigation of existing impacts. High-voltage power lines (“transmission lines”) are known to increase bird mortality by collision. Here we present a method to derive a high resolution map of relative risk of transmission line impacts across one entire country, Belgium, from existing bird distribution data. First, all the bird species observed in Belgium were systematically assessed using literature and casualty records to select those to be included in the sensitivity map. Species were selected on the basis of their intrinsic susceptibility to collision and the conservation relevance of avoiding additional mortality for that species in Belgium. Each of the selected species was included in one or several spatial layer constructed from existing data, emerging from citizen science bird monitoring schemes. The resulting 17 layers were then combined into one final sensitivity map, where a “risk score” estimates the relative collision risk across Belgium at a 1×1 km resolution. This risk score is relatively robust to the subtraction of any of the 17 layers. The map identifies areas where building new transmission lines would create high risk of collision and, if overlapped with existing power lines, helps to prioritise spans where mitigation measures should be placed. Wetlands and river valleys stand out as the most potentially dangerous areas for collision with transmission lines. This sensitivity map could be regularly updated with new bird data or adapted to other countries where similar bird data are available.
... The growing numbers of observed interactions between birds and power lines is linked with the worldwide increase in extent of such lines, which was estimated in 2010 at more than 65 million kilometers of transmission and distribution lines . Collisions with power lines are a studied and confirmed cause of bird mortality in many countries of the world (Alonso & Alonso 1999, Rubolini et al. 2005, Derouaux et al. 2012, Gális et al. 2016, Bernardino et al. 2018 and may have fundamental negative impact on endangered and reduced populations on the local level (Crowder 2000, Drewitt & Langston 2008, Raab et al. 2012. It is possible to observe collisions most frequently in areas where the power lines cross the hunting and nesting biotopes used by large bird populations (Andriushchenko & Popenko 2012). ...
... They should be applied as input variables in any method of assessing the degree of risk in power lines with regard to collisions. Various categorizations of power lines into groups with similar degrees of risk and designations of priority areas can be found in a range of foreign studies, for example from Belgium (Derouaux et al. 2012), Portugal (Silva et al. 2014), Portugal andSpain (D'Amico et al. 2019), the USA (Heck 2007, Quinn et al. 2011 or South Africa . ...
... Subsequently these variables are vectorized using GIS tools and then visualized in map form with various scales of resulting degree of risk. The assessment in a Belgian study for example (Derouaux et al. 2012) sets out from the principle of identifying the priority species with regard to risk of collision, then key biotopes and migration routes. These data were subsequently filtered through power line layers and then a system of assigning scores was introduced based on expert evaluation. ...
Power lines represent an important and increasing worldwide cause of avian mortality due to collisions involving flying birds. One positive and very important fact is that only some parts of potentially dangerous lines are responsible for the majority of killed birds. These sections need to be identified and treated with proper mitigation measures. In this article we present a specially-prepared methodology aimed at classifying power lines according to the risk they present. The identification of power lines with the highest risk of possible bird collision requires easily-accessed biological, technical and landscape information. In addition to analyses of these main inputs, our methodology also evaluates the influence of power line orientation relative to the important migration routes of birds, the effect of nearby tree growth higher than the evaluated power lines, and the complexity of landscape relief. Based on these three additional inputs, it is possible to produce a digitalized map showing with one-meter accuracy the location of power line sections with the high/middle/low mortality risk due to collision for any existing or newly-planned grid. Sections with highest risk should be considered as priority for the implementation of mitigation measures including e.g. installation of bird flight diverters. Our methodology was prepared for 22 kV and 110 kV distribution power lines in Slovakia. It is flexible enough to be applied equally to any geographic conditions and/or bird community, different voltage levels and construction designs of power lines. Our methodology can be applied by ornithologists, nature conservancy organization and power line system operators to implement environmental and cost-effective mitigation measures.
... Ils consistent en quelques itinéraires circulaires au-dessus des arbres tout en émettant un chant caractéristique (« croule » ou « roding »). Ces vols ont lieu au crépuscule et seraient à l'origine de l'apparition fréquente de l'espèce en tant que victime de collisions (Derouaux et al., 2012). ...
... Dit traject heeft een totale lengte van 3.351 meter. Dit traject wordt weergegeven in Figuur 1. Bij een eerdere analyse die werd uitgevoerd voor het rapport 'Reducing bird mortality with high and very high voltage lines in Belgium' (Derouaux et al., 2012) werd het weerhouden monitoringtraject opgenomen als een prioritaire lijn. Om te worden weerhouden als een prioritaire lijn dient de pyloonscore ≥ 50 te zijn. ...
... keer de drukke N702 (Boudewijnlaan) kruist, resp. tussen P16G -P17G en tussen P18G -P19G. Een ander deel van het traject (tussen P14G -P16G) loopt boven een bebost gebied en kon daardoor evenmin worden onderzocht. Bij een eerdere analyse die werd uitgevoerd voor het rapport 'Reducing bird mortality with high and very high voltage lines in Belgium' (Derouaux et. al, 2012) werd het weerhouden monitoringtraject opgenomen als een prioritaire lijn. De risicoscores varieerden er per pyloon van 53 (pylonen 9, 10, 11 en 12) tot 54 (pylonen 13 en 14). Om te worden weerhouden als een prioritaire lijn dient de pyloonscore ≥ 50 te zijn. Een latere quick-scan -die op 12 maart 2014 werd uitgevoerd door Gerald Driesse ...
... Tot slot kan nog worden opgemerkt dat bij het bepalen van de 'zwarte' lijnen door Derouaux et al. (2012) geen rekening werd gehouden met de aanwezigheid van Houtsnip, noch tijdens de winterperiode, noch als broedvogel. Indien deze soort wel zou zijn meegenomen in de achterliggende algoritmes die werden gebruikt om de risico-score van elke pyloon te berekenen, zou de score van een aantal pylonen van de 'zwarte' lijn van Diepenbeek misschien wat hoger hebben gelegen. ...
Monitoring of bird-collisions on a high-voltage powerline in Diepenbeek (Belgium)
... С целью предотвращения гибели стервятников на линиях ЛЭП, которые они регулярно используют для ночевок на зимовках, рекомендуется устанавливать более безопасные опоры, а места, где на столбах ночует много птиц, рекомендуют включать в список важных для птиц территорий (Important Bird Areas, IBA) (Arkumarev et al., 2014). В Бельгии при проектировке линий высокого напряжения используют данные по распределению мест ночевок редких видов птиц (Derouaux et al., 2012). ...
The scientific publications and reports of nature conservation organizations of several countries were analyzed. The use of the data on communal roosting behavior for bird protection is discussed. The estimation of the numbers of birds at traditional and temporary communal roosting sites and comparability of these datawith those gathered by other methods is considered. The influence of human activity such as human presence at roost sites, road building, construction of wind turbines, haymowing, vehicles’ presence, habitat losses and tourism on roosting birds is reviewed. The experience of the protection of rare birds’ roost sites including communal and solitary roosts in some countries (e.g. Great Britain, Germany and USA) is recommended for use. The protection of roost sites helps to favor not only local populations but the whole population of some species. For the purpose of roost site protection it is necessary to find and monitor roosting sites, estimate numbers of roosting birds, investigate pre-roosting and roosting behavior, clarify the dispersion of birds of one roost in day time and tracks of evening/morning movements and measure the degree of traditionality of communal roosting sites. It is necessary to develop the rating criteria for potential communal roosting sites of vulnerable species.
This report presents a sensitivity mapping of bird collision risk with power lines. This study combined recent bird data accumulated from various sources to produce a comprehensive reassessment of, and map, the risk of bird collisions with power lines across Belgium. The end product is a scoring of the high-voltage line segments according to the risk of collision with sensitive species, in order to help Transmission System Operator to prioritise mitigation measure equipment.
