National park reports deaths of two rare birds from wind turbines
Two rare species of birds of prey, a lesser spotted eagle and a black vulture, were killed in the region of southern Evros in northeastern Greece after flying into wind turbines, according to administrators of the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park.
The young eagle was found dead by a local beneath a turbine in a wind park north of the town of Leptokarya on August 19. The vulture was found two days later, 30 meters away, with the help of a tracking device attached to it.
“The two unfortunate deaths of protected and endangered bird species due to collisions with wind turbine blades were added to the list of 14 birds of prey identified during a two-year search conducted by WWF Greece (2008-10) and the four found after 2010,” the park said in a statement, referring to other birds that had died after flying into turbines.
The wider region of Thrace has 237 wind turbines, which the park says put the lives of such birds at risk.
