First Data on Bird Electrocution in Jordan, with Comments on the Undertaken Conservation Efforts

Avian electrocution has been well documented mostly in North America and Europe. In Asia, mortality due to hazardous power grid was studied mainly in Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. However, this type of research is still rare in the Middle East region and the problem there remains poorly understood. Jordan is on the flyway of many threatened species, such as Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis (Hodgson, 1833), Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus (Linnaeus, 1758) and Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca (Savigny, 1809). Therefore, the study of the electrocution risk in the country is of crucial importance to clarifying the dangerous power lines, threatening birds and their subsequent mitigation. In this pilot study, we focused on regions comprising part of the eastern Mediterranean migration route of the Egyptian Vulture used also by other raptor species. We found 215 electrocuted birds belonging to nine species, as the most common victim was the White Stork Ciconia ciconia (Linnaeus, 1758) (n = 197). Raptors were the next most commonly electrocuted guild in our study, including globally endangered Steppe Eagle (n = 2) and Egyptian Vulture (n = 1). Most electrocution incidents were recorded on tower station (KR = 2.43). The power poles of Type 3 (KR = 1) and Type 6 (KR = 0.75) also caused high bird mortality. However, 742 poles of different types were insulated within the project "Urgent Actions to Strengthen the Balkan Population of the Egyptian Vulture and Secure Its Flyway" (LIFE16 NAT/BG/000874). We recommend the intensification of such research in order to evaluate how serious the problem really is in the Middle East region, identifying hotspots of electrocution mortality and implementing subsequent mitigation measures.