Presentation of the Use of a Trained Detection Dog for Recording the Impacts of Wind Turbines
Workshop of the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace with environmental impact assessment consultants for wind power plants in Thrace.
The Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace (SPBT) organized a two-day workshop in Soufli, Evros, in May 2026, with the participation of 14 consultants from different regions of Greece who are involved in the environmental impact assessment of wind farms in Thrace.
The aim of the workshop was to adress the challenges and difficulties faced by specialists when assessing the impacts of wind farms on wildlife, as well as to exchange experiences and explore ways to improve the methods currently being applied.
The key topic of the workshop was the presentation of the systematic research conducted by the SPBT since 2024 for the detection of dead birds and bats at wind power plants using a specially trained detection dog. The advantages of the method, its effectiveness, and its potential for broader application in monitoring the environmental impacts of wind turbines were presented.
As part of the workshop, a field demonstration was also given at a wind farm in southern Evros, where the trained detection dog demonstrated in practice the rapid and efficient detection of findings.
During the discussions, it was highlighted that the detection of dead birds and bats at wind farms is a particularly demanding process. Dense vegetation, the considerable distance that animals may reach after a collision, the scavengers’ removal, as well as the limited f human observation ability, often make searches extremely difficult. For this reason, the use of trained detection dogs can significantly improve the accuracy of monitoring, contributing to a more reliable assessment of impacts and, consequently, to evidence-based decisions regarding changes in the operation and monitoring of existing wind farms, as well as future spatial planning.
The participants evaluated the method very positively, noting that, in addition to the advantages mentioned above, the use of a trained detection dog also offers the important benefit of rapid detection of findings, which is particularly valuable given the limited time that each consultant is able to dedicate to fieldwork.
At the same time, they emphasized the value of similar workshops, which strengthen the exchange of knowledge and experience and contribute to the continuous improvement of scientific monitoring methods.
The workshop was conducted within the framework of the European programme:
LIFE23-NAT-BG-LIFE Rhodope Vulture-101148254 “Restoration of the Cinereous vulture population and trophic chain in the Bulgarian-Greek cross-border region”.
EN 
EL