The main goal of the 5-year project called LIFE Energy was to identify the high-risk power lines in Eastern Slovakia (which is the distribution area of VSD) and finding the most appropriate measures to make them safer for birds.

The project identified which sections of power lines (22 kV and 110 kV) in 5 Special protected areas pose the greatest risk of collisions to bird. In Eastern Slovakia, the result is 4 100 elements installed by the operator of the electric line - the company Východoslovenská distribučná (VSD).

“In total, we made monitoring of 2 500 km of lines in Special protected areas in Medzibodrožie, Ondavská rovina, Košická kotlina, Slovenský kras and Senianske rybníky. Based on monitoring, in which 19 trained monitors participated, we selected sections of a total length of 34 km, which pose a potential risk of collision for birds,” said Lucia Deutschová from the Raptor Protection in Slovakia.

VSD has planned to install the preferred types of flight diverters - FireFly type and SWAN-FLIGHT Diverter type at 62 sites. Monitoring of the effectiveness of measures is currently underway, and bird responses are being investigated. “We do this monitoring mostly in the morning and in the evening, when visibility is insufficient and birds are also very active. According to the first results, birds react to the treated line in advance and have enough time to safely flight over it. The efficiency of both elements reaches almost 100 percent,” said Marek Gális from the Raptor Protection in Slovakia.