The Federal Grid Company (the largest electricity transmission company grid in Russia), WWF Russia and NGO AmurSEU organized a photo expedition to the electric grid objects of Amurskaya province where the Oriental storks used to build nests.

WWF and the Amur Coalition of environmental NGOs declared 2018 - the Year of the Oriental stork. According to the expert estimates the world population of this bird species comes at about 4 000 individuals. WWF Russia considers that since the beginning of 2000 the numbers of the Oriental stork in Amurskaya province have doubled, among other things thanks to the protection measures on the objects of electric grid infrastructure.

Conservationists and specialists in energetics work together to save the Oriental stork

Yury Gafarov / WWF Russia

Statistically, every fifth disturbance of operating regime on Russian power transmission lines is bird-related. Large bird species such as Oriental stork are in a high risk group. The only possible solution for their protection is the mounting of anti-landing devices and safe platforms for nests. This equipment is mounted on 52 out of 59 main transmission lines within the Oriental stork home range. Members of the expedition visited the nesting sites on 220 kV transmission lines “Blagoveschenskaya-Varvarovka”. The storks build nests and bring out chicks on specially mounted safe platforms.

Specialists from the Federal Grid Company mount safe platforms for birds to build nests

Anti-landing devices on the electric power towers

Conservationists and specialists in energetics work together to save the Oriental stork

Anna Barma / WWF Russia

“We carry out a series of activities, for instance, isolate the parts of towers that may damage the birds, mount anti-landing devices, equip safe platforms for building nets. The cooperation with environmental organization is very important. For example, WWF Russia Amur branch has provided us with the maps with nest locations. This data helped us understand which lines should be equipped with the protective devices first of all, - comments Alexander Krivosheev, head of Amur branch of the Federal Grid Company.

Famous photographer and blogger Alexander Khitrov, PrimDiscovery, the member of the expedition, prepares the drone for shooting

Yury Gafarov, head of NGO AmurSEU, comments about stork conservation to the federal TV Channel "Amur"

Anna Barma / WWF Russia

“Since 2000, the number of the Oriental storks on the power transmission lines is growing. It is connected with the intense development of the traditional home range of this bird, the lack of trees suitable for building nests. The activity of the Federal Grid Company can be considered as best practices to prevent the outages on the electric lines, and at the same time ensuring the extension of the Oriental stork range. This practices can be replicated for protection of other large bird species, - commented Anna Barma, PhD., protected areas coordinator at WWF Russia Amur branch.

Cover photo: Anna Barma / WWF Russia

For additional information please contact

Anna Barma

Project Coordinator

Elena Starostina

Press-Officer

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