– LIFE DANUBE FREE SKY

Project code: LIFE19 NAT/SK/001023
Project web site: danubefreesky.eu
Project duration: 1. 9. 2020 – 28. 2. 2026
Total project budget: 6.636.170,00 €, 75% co-financed by EU funds
JUPPKR budget: 323.696,00 €

The project started on September 1, 2020 with approved funding from the LIFE program of the European Union. During the planned 5 years of project implementation, 15 partners from 7 countries (Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania) will develop strong cooperation and implement the most effective solutions to prevent existential threats to birds. The application of protective measures will increase the visibility of the highest priority transmission lines on more than 245 km of the network section. Also, more than 3,200 of the most dangerous power line poles within the project area will be treated to ensure bird safety. The Coordinating beneficiary is Raptor Protection of Slovakia.

The project area consists of 23 Special Protected Areas (SPAs) and 9 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) located in the immediate vicinity of the Danube River. With its coastal zones and riverine habitats, the Danube forms an ecological network and often forms the backbone for bio-corridors. The corridor and its adjacent areas attract hundreds of species of birds. Millions of birds follow the Danube every year on their spring and autumn migrations to and from their distant migration grounds. Many species have suffered dramatic declines in the past decades. Every year, 20% of the reproductive population of the Imperial eagle, Saker falcon and Dalmatian pelican die due to electrocution and collision. The implementation of the project activities will increase the survival rate of the target species of birds that are currently suffering during their migrations, nesting, breeding, finding food and habitat.

Project objectives:

• To contribute to the aim of the EU Biodiversity Strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services along the Danube river
• To reduce and prevent direct and indirect bird mortality caused by electrocution and collisions with the power lines within 23 project SPAs and 9 IBAs
• To increase the population of the 12 target species
• To establish safer migration routes and habitats along the Danube river
• To start/strengthen the cooperation between the key stakeholders and increase the efficiency of adopted measures on a transnational level
• project partners from Croatia are participating in the project – Public institution “Nature Park Kopački rit”, Croatian distribution system operator ltd. (HEP-DSO) and Croatian transmission system operator ltd. (HOPS)

Project activities in the Republic of Croatia include conducting recognition survey, which collects technical data on power line poles and substations, types of habitats in which they are located, and data on found dead birds. On the basis of this data, the transmission line sections were divided into 3 categories (critical, potentially dangerous and non-dangerous) and transects where further activities will be carried out were selected. The recognition survey will be followed by a baseline survey, as part of which the monitoring of birds mortality on power lines and the bird flight observation will be carried out. The baseline survey will last for one year, with the highest intensity of implementation during the spring and autumn migrations. Upon completion of the baseline survey, project partners HEP DSO and HOPS will begin the application of mitigation measures by installing physical flight diverters and insulating power line conductors to increase their visibility and reduce bird casualties. After the mitigation measures have been carried out, there will be an assessment of efficiency of the implemented measures by conducting monitoring as during the baseline survey. Artificial nests for the Saker falcon (Falco cherrug) will be installed on power line poles in the sections that were assessed as not dangerous, and in order to increase favorable habitats and breeding opportunities. One of the project activities is the involvement of the general public in the issues that the project deals with, and on this occasion, volunteer actions with the theme of bird watching will be organized, and the public will be informed about the project activities through websites and social networks.

White stork´s nest live-stream

The White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) is an iconic bird species, a symbol of migrating birds, the herald of the beginning of spring. Every year tens of thousands of people await its arrival, having become accustomed to its presence and nesting in their villages or towns. Unfortunately, storks are also frequent victims of electrocution – the electric shock that happens when they land/use the power line poles. To keep these risk to a minimum, we are replacing risky bare conductors with insulated ones on poles in the project area within the LIFE Danube Free Sky project in cooperation with the distribution energy company HEP. Special bird flight diverters are installed in cooperation with HEP and transmission company HOPS as a precaution against collisions with power lines. This allows our precious storks to safely return to their breeding sites each year and raise their chicks. This nest is located in the village of Kopačevo, next to the Kopački rit Nature Park. Previous nest, built by the pair, was placed on the crossarm of an electric pole and was surrounded by electric wires. In order to secure safety for the pair and their nestlings, and since the old nest was in poor condition and there was risk of it collapsing, it was moved to new metal platform installed by project partner HEP away from electrical infrastructure. You can now watch this beautiful natural spectacle with us in real time online thanks to the LIFE Danube Free Sky project.

The LIFE Danube Free Sky (LIFE19 NAT/SK/001023) project has received funding from the LIFE Programme of the European Union and the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic.