Stork deaths on migration route in Istanbul: Over 100 birds electrocuted in one week

Mass bird deaths occurred in Istanbul during the stork migration that began in August. According to a report by BBC Turkish, more than 100 storks were found dead within a week in the Tahtakale region, north of Lake Küçükçekmece; at least eight injured storks were also identified.

According to field observations, the cause of the deaths is that the storks, which migrate during the day, are electrocuted by the catenary wires and poles on the railway line where they land to rest in the evening. Birdwatcher and climate ambassador Erdem Kuruca stated that electricity transmission and distribution lines, as well as railway electrification systems, pose a serious risk to birds, especially during migration periods.

Kuruca said that TCDD teams and birdwatchers have begun taking precautions in the region, and that if these interventions had not been made, the death toll could have reached "several hundred." It was reported that plastic devices that prevent birds from landing were installed on the railway line, protective covers were placed on electrified sections, and efforts were made to drive the birds away from dangerous points using a maintenance vehicle in the evening hours.

According to official sources, following the news of the deaths, TCDD technical teams, Nature Conservation and National Parks personnel, academics, and birdwatchers conducted an investigation in the region. The poles and catenary systems heavily used by the storks were identified, and priority intervention points were determined.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ISTANBUL ON THE MIGRATION ROUTE

Storks spend the winter in Africa; they migrate through Turkey to Europe in the spring to breed, and in the autumn, they head back to their wintering grounds in Africa with their young. It is stated that approximately 90 percent of the storks breeding in Europe pass through Istanbul on this journey.

According to Kuruca, approximately 900 thousand to 1.3 million storks migrate through Istanbul every year. Storks use warm air currents during long-distance flights to reduce the need for flapping their wings; for this reason, the Bosphorus becomes one of the most important transit points on land-dependent migration routes.

Experts assess that habitat loss may also be a factor in the high number of deaths this year. Kuruca stated that due to the decrease in wetlands and urbanization in Istanbul, birds are turning to areas with less human activity that offer feeding opportunities.

Official sources, however, stated that the railway around Küçükçekmece has been operating for approximately 153 years, and the electrification system on the line has been in the region for 42 years; there were no similar death records for previous years. Therefore, it is considered that the incident may have become visible due to a possible change in the migration route.

In the short term, anti-perching applications, daily field checks, and active deterrence measures have been implemented. In the long term, it is aimed to develop permanent technical solutions by utilizing changes in migration routes, safe landing areas, guidance systems, and international practices.

Tuba Kılıç Karcı, Chairperson of the Board of the Nature Association (Doğa Derneği), also stated that electrocution is one of the primary threats to birds, emphasizing that all processes, from the planning of power lines to the selection of pole types, should be evaluated from an ecological perspective.

News Source: 12punto