About the project

Project title
Providing a safe ecological corridor for breeding and migrating birds between the Alps and the Adriatic Sea

Total project budget: €3,390,543

Summary
Many breeding and nesting bird species in Slovenia, such as the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo), the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), the red-footed falcon (Falco verspertinus) and the Eurasian curlew (Numenius arquata) , face many threats in our airspace. These range from electrocutions on medium-voltage power lines, collisions with high-voltage power lines, to conflicts with recreational users of the airspace. The project will focus on solving these problems and preventing new ones from arising. The project will ensure the protection of the existing 1150 medium-voltage power lines, which will reduce the mortality of target species by 90% within SPAs. We will develop a new model of a bird-safe power line and set guidelines for the protection of birds from electrocution. In addition, we will mark high voltage power lines at the most sensitive locations within the Ljubljansko moor SPA to warn against collisions. By monitoring bird movements, we will identify and protect bottlenecks on migration routes. These measures will create an ecological corridor that will ensure safe passage and nesting of birds and will link the SPAs Karst, Snežnik-Pivka, Ljubljana Marshes, Vipava Edge, Banjšice, Breginjski stol and Julijci. This corridor will also be included in the management plan of the Triglav National Park and the Škocjan Caves Park. A new landscape park will also be established within the corridor in the Snežnik-Pivka SPA due to its high nature conservation value.