More than 35 dead storks have been recorded in recent days in the Lavreotiki area, electrocuted on power distribution poles. The incident was reported last week by ANIMA, the Greek Wildlife Care and Rehabilitation Center, whose representatives describe it as a longstanding problem affecting migratory birds as they travel from Europe to Africa.
The victims are mostly young storks, since they’re the first to begin their annual migration flights during August. These younger birds have less flying experience, and some may have only learned to fly a few weeks earlier. Maria Ganoti, a representative of ANIMA, explained to Ta Nea exactly how the short circuits happen. “When there’s wind or bad weather, storks stop to rest on the poles. There, they spread their wings to balance themselves, and they can end up touching two wires at once, which completes a circuit.” She added that depending on weather conditions, a strong gust of wind can also blow the birds directly onto the wires.
The location where the deaths were recorded isn’t random. It’s one of Greece’s migratory corridors for these birds. Eva Stetz, coordinator of white stork ringing at the Hellenic Bird Ringing Center, notes that when a flock of 50 to 60 storks lands on a utility pole, it’s not unusual for them to jostle each other trying to find a good spot to perch, which can also lead to electrocution. “Death from power lines is the number one cause of death for storks,” she says plainly.
The Plastic Nests
The Hellenic Electricity Distribution Network Operator (DEDDIE) has installed special plastic nesting platforms in certain areas so storks can build nests there, but its efforts “aren’t enough,” ANIMA notes in its statement. The plastic nests matter because electrocution doesn’t just threaten birds during migration, it also affects them while they’re living in Greece. According to Stetz, around 2,000 stork pairs make their home in the country. “They gather sticks and build nests on utility poles. That’s where they can end up victims of a short circuit,” Ganoti adds, noting that roughly half of all storks born in Greece die because of power lines, calling it a “permanent problem.”
Notably, similar incidents were recorded last year in Spata, and 15 years ago more than 50 storks died from electrocution in a single event. Abroad, in Bulgaria, another country along the birds’ migration route, more than 200 stork deaths from the same cause were recorded in the past.
The local forestry department is investigating the deaths in Lavreotiki. The goal is to propose adequate protective measures, and according to information obtained by Ta Nea, a criminal case file isn’t ruled out, though that will depend on how the investigation unfolds. Another critical factor is that birds colliding with power lines can create sparks, which in turn can start fires.
For its part, ANIMA plans to discuss the possibility of burying part of the cable network underground along stretches of the coast where the birds pass through. “Whatever else gets done, nothing else will really work,” Ganoti says.
