Power Lines Pose Deadly Threat to Namibia’s Large Birds
A year-long study in southern Namibia has confirmed what conservationists have long feared: power lines are killing significant numbers of large bird species, with some populations, particularly bustards, facing serious risk.
Globally, bird collisions and electrocutions on power lines are a well-documented conservation issue, but in Namibia the problem has received only limited and inconsistent attention. Now, new research conducted across 349 kilometres of transmission lines in the Succulent and Nama Karoo biomes has provided some of the clearest local evidence to date of the scale of the threat.
An article, recently published in Volume 97 issue 1 of Ostrich Journal of African Ornithology titled “Large bird collision mortality on power lines in southern Namibia,” sees researchers carrying out vehicle-based surveys every three months over a 12-month period.
They examined four types of transmission lines: 66, 132, 220 and 400 kilovolts. An initial clearing survey recorded 80 carcasses, followed by a further 197 bird deaths documented during the study period. Of these, a striking 89% were attributed to collisions rather than electrocutions.
Thirteen species of large birds were recorded among the fatalities, but two stood out overwhelmingly: Ludwig’s Bustard (Neotis ludwigii) and the Kori Bustard (Ardeotis kori), which together accounted for 81% of all recorded deaths.
The findings reinforce growing concern among conservationists that bustards are particularly vulnerable to power line collisions due to their size, flight patterns, and limited forward vision. The study also revealed seasonal variation in collision rates, possibly linked to seasonal and nomadic movements. No significant difference was found between male and female bustards in terms of mortality rates.
Of particular concern is the impact on Ludwig’s Bustard, a species already classified as endangered. Endemic to the arid regions of Namibia, South Africa and southwestern Angola, the species is now facing what researchers describe as a “very serious threat” from power line collisions.
Previous studies in South Africa have highlighted similar risks to large bird species, including the Blue Crane (Grus paradisea), the country’s national bird, and the Kori Bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird. Experts warn that sustained collision rates could have population-level consequences, especially for species with slow breeding rates.
The study proposes mitigation measures such as careful routing of new lines to minimise risks to bustards - such as aligning them close to roads or other structures where they tend to fly higher or to avoid solid obstacles. But these solutions are largely focused on new infrastructure. The far greater challenge lies in addressing the thousands of kilometres of existing power lines already crisscrossing the landscape.
The Open Access article can be read here.