Electrocution Kills Young Saker Falcon

A young Saker Falcon, released by Green Balkans, was found dead near Burgas! The bird was located thanks to a GPS transmitter mounted on its back.The falcon's body was discovered beneath one of the most hazardous types of utility poles for birds of prey, alongside the remains of a Long-eared Owl. Data from the transmitter indicates that the falcon died during the night, with the likely cause being a clash between the two birds, which led to contact with the power lines and a fatal electrocution. After the falcon was brought to the Wildlife Rescue Centre of Green Balkans, veterinary experts performed a necropsy that clearly confirmed electrocution as the cause of death. The falcon was one of eight chicks hatched this year in the aviaries of the Rescue Centre and released into the wild as part of the organization's activities to reintroduce the Saker Falcon in Bulgaria. The bird, identified as a male, was released from a hacking aviary on July 2. It remained in the release area for 26 days before beginning a journey through Romania, back into Bulgaria, then on to Serbia and Kosovo, and once again into Bulgaria. Tragically, it died before reaching three months of age.

All this information became known thanks to the GPS transmitter fitted to the bird by the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (BSPB), as part of the “Life for Falcons” project. The use of such modern technology allows not only for tracking the lives of released birds but also for identifying the dangers they face in the wild. Sadly, this falcon did not survive to reproduce. However, its death has revealed a “hotspot” that is likely responsible for the deaths of other birds as well. The Green Balkans team will report the incident to the relevant authorities and will monitor the efforts to secure the hazardous section of the power grid.

Unfortunately, such incidents are not isolated cases. Thanks to modern tracking technologies and the ability to determine the causes of death in tagged birds, it has become clear that, along with poisoned baits and poaching, the power transmission network is one of the most common causes of premature deaths among birds of prey. It’s worth noting that Green Balkans has been working for over 15 years on the restoration of the Saker Falcon in Bulgaria. Thanks to the organization’s efforts, the species has made a comeback in the country—from zero wild pairs to now three confirmed breeding pairs. Over 90% of the birds in these wild pairs were hatched in the Rescue Centre and released through the project, with the rest being donated by zoos or breeding centers.

Special thanks to Vladimir Mladenov, Ivaylo Dimchev, and Desislava Dimcheva from the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds for their rapid response in the field, and to our friend—and friend of birds of prey—Cornel Cotorogea for his assistance.