A dead common buzzard was found on 20 January 2026 at a wind station operating near the village of Melia, north of Alexandroupoli, during a systematic survey carried out by the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace using a specially trained dog.

The bird was found in dense vegetation, approximately 80 metres from a wind turbine. It was already in an advanced stage of decomposition, and only parts of the body were located, which made the initial assessment of the incident difficult. It is estimated that the bird had been moved by a mammal to some kind of “hideout” and was partly consumed. The parts/remains that were found were collected and sent for veterinary examination.

According to the veterinary report, a complete fracture was identified in the left wing, while a part of it had been amputated, an injury that can be caused by a strong external force. Multiple crushing fractures were also observed in the remaining part of the body. Although the report concludes that the cause of death cannot be determined with certainty, similar types of fractures and amputations have been observed in past recorded cases of bird collisions with wind turbines.

It is noted that collisions of birds of prey have also been recorded in the past at the same wind station, highlighting the lack of proper planning for the installation of wind stations in areas critical for biodiversity, such as Thrace, and the significant underestimation of their impacts.

Once again, the role of the specially trained dog proved decisive, as it located the remains in a place where detection with conventional search methods used at wind stations would have been extremely difficult. The use of trained detection dogs is a valuable tool for locating and recording dead birds and bats at wind stations, thereby contributing to a better understanding of their impacts and to timely decision-making for existing projects to reduce impacts.