One more endangered bird of prey died tragically after colliding with a wind turbine in Rodopi last July. This time was a honey buzzard, a migratory bird that breeds in our country in spring and migrates south in autumn. Although it survived the hard long journey, it eventually died because of collision with one of the many wind turbines that have been installed over the years in critical bird habitats in Thrace.

The terrible incident recorded at “GRAMMATIKAKI” wind farm and it is worth mentioning that on these wind turbines is installed an automated collision avoidance system, but once again it failed to prevent the collision. The system was not activated in time, but late after the collision. This is the fourth incident recorded in Thrace were birds collided with wind turbines fitted with an automated collision avoidance system. Three of them have been recorded at the "GRAMMATIKAKI" wind farm - a cinereous vulture collided with the same turbine two years ago - and one, also a honey buzzard, at a neighbouring wind farm, about 5 km to the south.

“Enough is enough! How many more victims do we have to count so to finally put an end to the wrong planning and the problematic siting of wind turbines in Thrace? Tragic mistakes have been made for over twenty years and despite the severe impacts, the Administration repeats the same mistakes by permitting new wind farms at the expense of the biodiversity it is called to protect”, comments Lefteris Kapsalis, scientific associate of the Society for the Protection of Biodiversity of Thrace.

We call on the Administration to take immediate action on the dangerous wind farms operating in Thrace and to protect the endangered species by not allowing more wind turbines in critical ecosystems.

Further information:

• 276 wind turbines are currently operating in Evros and Rodopi, while the majority of them are installed in critical habitats of protected birds and bats species.
• Severe impacts have been recorded in Thrace as a result of the non-proper site selection of wind turbines. To date, 563 incidents of dead birds and bats have been recorded. The actual number is even higher, as many of the victims are never found.
• Despite the large number of collisions and the multiple studies that have been proved the impacts of wind turbines on biodiversity and ecosystems in Thrace, the Administration continues to license wind farms in areas where the serious impacts of the potential operation of wind turbines are certain. In many cases, it ignores the warnings of competent authorities (e.g. NECCA) that give negative opinions. Find relevant press release on the recent licensing of wind farms in Rodopi here.