252 birds electrocuted on power lines in Armenia, most of them in Shirak

Electrocution happens mostly on low- and medium-voltage lines. A bird perching on a pole or taking off can touch two live wires, or a wire and earthed metal, and close the circuit. The risk is highest where poles are the only tall perches in open country.

The survey had two parts. From 30 May to 30 July 2024, in the breeding season, two surveyors checked about 60 km of line (1,090 poles) in Armavir, Ararat and Kotayk provinces, mainly near the Khosrov Forest State Reserve. From 12 September to 7 November, during autumn migration, they checked about 54 km (981 poles) in Shirak province. They walked a 40 m belt along each line and recorded every carcass.

Of the 252 birds, 228 were found in Shirak in autumn and 24 in the other provinces during the breeding season. The authors note that this gap may reflect both the season and the different landscapes.

Fifteen species were identified, with a few more birds named only to genus. The most frequent victims were the Eurasian magpie (49), common kestrel (34), rook (34), western jackdaw (33) and common buzzard (31) — together 71.8% of all records. Raptors made up 97 birds (38.5%). Where the age of a raptor could be told, 31 of 34 were young birds.

Three species from the Red Book of Armenia were among the dead: a juvenile golden eagle, a Eurasian eagle-owl and three lesser kestrels. Only nine carcasses had visible burns, so the authors warn that the lack of burns does not rule out electrocution.

The worst hotspot was Lake Arpi National Park in Shirak, where two parallel, uninsulated 10 kV lines run about 20 m apart along the lakeshore through grassland used by raptors and wetland birds. Other clusters lay between Zorakert and Paghakn, from Paghakn to Ardenis, and along the Bavra–Tavshut road. On 18 July 2024, 12 dead birds were found along a single 3.5 km line near Hatsavan in Kotayk.

Most birds (94.8%) lay under concrete poles. The authors point out that the survey deliberately favoured concrete-pole lines, so it does not show how risky wooden poles are by comparison. On about 7 km of new line with covered cables in Ararat province, no dead birds were found.

Shirak borders Georgia’s Samtskhe-Javakheti. The paper does not survey Georgian lines. For the rest of the South Caucasus, the authors found systematic data only from Nakhchivan; for Georgia they cite general raptor research, not a power-line survey.

The authors recommend insulating live parts on dangerous concrete poles, fitting perch deterrents and other bird-safe designs, and writing bird-safe standards into energy planning. They give priority to open landscapes with few natural perches, Lake Arpi and the migration corridors of Shirak. More birds are on the birds hub.