Lorraine Williamson
The scale of bird deaths from power lines in Spain has long been an open secret among conservationists. Yet the latest estimates paint an even starker picture: around 30,000 birds are killed every year, many of them endangered or emblematic species. From imperial eagles to white storks, the losses quietly chip away at populations already under pressure from habitat loss, climate change and human encroachment.
Much of the damage goes unnoticed. Carcasses disappear quickly—scavenged, blown away or hidden in dense vegetation—leaving researchers to piece together an incomplete picture of a problem far larger than the numbers suggest.
Why Spain’s big birds are most at risk
Large wingspans are a lethal disadvantage near electricity infrastructure. When birds perch on uninsulated pylons or brush against two cables at once, they can complete an electric circuit and die instantly. Others collide with wires they simply cannot see, particularly in poor light or during migration.
Species such as cranes and storks, which follow ancient migratory routes across the peninsula, are especially exposed. Long-distance flight brings them into contact with thousands of kilometres of overhead cables that often cut through open landscapes they rely on.
This pattern has been recorded across Europe, but Spain is considered one of the worst-affected countries due to the combination of rich birdlife and dense electricity networks.
Protected landscapes, unprotected species
Some of the highest mortality occurs in Natura 2000 zones — areas designated precisely because they host rare and vulnerable wildlife. These spaces should act as refuges, yet they often contain outdated pylons or low-visibility wiring.
Conservation groups argue that these are the places where solutions should be deployed first: better insulation, safer pylon designs, or burying cables where feasible. Many of the birds killed each year belong to species whose survival depends on these protected areas functioning as intended.
Renewables boom deepens the challenge
Spain’s rapid investment in wind and solar energy is crucial for the green transition, but it is also reshaping the countryside. Furthermore, new grids, substations and transmission lines are being built at speed. While modern infrastructure tends to be safer, each additional installation increases the risks in areas where large birds soar or migrate.
Spain has made progress in replacing its most dangerous pylons, yet NGOs such as SEO/BirdLife stress that mitigation is lagging behind expansion. The goal is not zero mortality—a near-impossible benchmark—but reducing deaths to levels that bird populations can withstand.
Legislation stuck in limbo
A national decree designed to set out stricter rules for preventing electrocution and collisions was supposed to be updated by April 2025. Nothing has moved since. Conservation organisations warn that every month of delay means more preventable deaths, particularly for birds breeding in fragile ecosystems.
Without legal pressure, improvements depend too heavily on voluntary measures from electricity companies or regional administrations.
A hidden map of danger: who owns the cables?
One complicating factor is the lack of publicly available data on where exactly electricity lines run, who owns them, and how they are built. Much of this information is restricted for security reasons. For researchers, that creates blind spots: it becomes difficult to identify strategic hotspots or assess how infrastructure interacts with migratory routes.
This opacity means that solutions rely heavily on fieldwork, chance discoveries, or reports from local communities.
Citizens step in where data doesn’t exist
To plug those gaps, SEO/BirdLife has turned to citizen science. Volunteers now use dedicated apps to log power lines and report dead birds, slowly building a nationwide map of risk points. This community-driven effort complements a wider European LIFE project shared with Portugal, focusing on monitoring vulnerable natural areas and improving preventive action.
Their findings are already shaping local interventions and raising public awareness in regions where the issue had barely been recognised.
Balancing energy progress with wildlife survival
Spain stands at a crossroads. Its drive toward renewable energy is vital for the climate, yet the infrastructure supporting it poses deadly risks to the country’s most iconic birds. Scientists, conservationists and volunteers agree on one point: the tools to reduce fatalities exist. What is missing is speed and political will.
Until stronger regulations are approved and more cables are made safe, the silent toll will continue — one that Spain can ill afford as biodiversity declines across Europe.
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