Electrocutions of Bids on Power Lines in the Khakassia Republic, Russia, in 2020

The article represents results of inspection of power lines for bird casualty in the Minusinsk Hollow, Khakassia, Russia in 2020. Previous inspection was done in the region in 2011 thus our work reveals changes in bird casualty over the last 10 years. The bird mortality on power lines of medium voltage remains remarkably high – mean value for the breeding season is 8.21 ind. per 1 km of line. The most dangerous lines are the ones on concrete poles with pin insulators located in open habitats away from human settlements. Lines of this type attract vast abundance of birds with high species diversity including high percentage of birds of prey and owls. Short lines protruding in the open terrain and parts of lines running through hilly landscapes are of extreme danger. Electrocuted birds are mostly represented by Corvids (66%). Raptors made 28% from the total, represented mostly by the common species such as Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) – 17.7% and Black Kite (Milvus migrans) – 6.5%, that is character for the forest-steppe zone of Russia. Total damage done to nature by 111.5 km of surveyed power lines was accounted for 18 100 000 Rub (about €204 000 or $243 770). The overall damage which could be caused by the power network of Khakassia was estimated as 64 171 440 Rub per year (that is equal to €723 310 or $864 246). This involves death of more than 3 252 birds per year in one small republic. The damage caused by one electricity pole calculated by the actual results of inspection was 10 485.6 Rub, that is at least 10 time higher that the cost of a set of bird-protection devices for a pole. At the end of the article, we gave our recommendations for minimizing the damage.