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Raptors Watch Us: GPS Reveals Human Impact
19 Jan
Summary
- GPS data shows eagles travel further for food on public holidays.
- Power lines cause thousands of raptor deaths annually in Spain.
- Renewable energy expansion poses a threat to vulture populations.
Advanced GPS tracking is offering unprecedented insights into the lives of large birds of prey, revealing a significant impact of human activities on their behavior and survival. Research indicates that on public holidays, eagles expand their hunting territories, suggesting they travel further to find food due to increased human presence in wilderness areas. This disturbance can even lead to the abandonment of breeding sites.
Electrocution and collisions with power lines have emerged as a major cause of mortality for endangered raptors. In Spain alone, an estimated 33,000 raptors die each year from these interactions, a figure previously underestimated. Conservationists are working with power companies to retrofit pylons, reducing electrocutions by up to 97% in some protected areas.
Beyond traditional threats like habitat loss and direct human persecution, the expansion of renewable energy presents new challenges. Wind turbines have caused substantial vulture fatalities in Spain over the past two decades. While renewable energy is necessary, better planning is crucial to minimize its impact on wildlife, requiring careful consideration of development locations and turbine design.
