Endangered black vulture killed by wind turbine in protected parkland
An endangered black vulture was killed after flying into the blades of a wind turbine located in a protected Natura 2000 park in northern Greece, officials of the Evros Delta and Dadia National Parks said on Friday.
The incident, which occurred in the Filiouri Valley, north of Nea Santa in Rodopi prefecture, was recorded by the cameras of the wind turbine’s bird collision prevention system.
Named Hector, the black vulture (Aegypius monachus) was tagged in 2018 when it was still a chick. In October 2021, a special transmitter was attached to the raptor to allow for scientific monitoring.
This incident “confirms our concerns about the impact of installing wind farms in areas that are natural habitats for birds,” underlined Sylvia Zakkak, a biologist with the Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency.
Although the incident occurred “in conditions of good visibility and all actions were performed by the system according to protocol, they were not sufficient to prevent the collision, as it was not possible to stop the rotor in good time,” she added.
According to research carried out by WWF Greece in 2008-2010, four vultures, one black vulture, two snake eagles, four hawks, one reed, 84 chicks and 194 bats were found dead at wind parks in the broader region.
“The only effective approach to ensuring the integrity of the Natura 2000 network is the [environmentally] correct positioning of [wind park] projects, and the enforcement of exclusion zones for the installation of new wind farms,” the Evros Delta and Dadia park management authority said. [AMNA]
