Free Sky For Birds 2026
Where experts deliver solutions

Moderator: Lucia Deutschová, Raptor Protection of Slovakia

Protecting birds from powerlines along the Danube River - A story of success
Lucia Deutschová, Marek Gális (Raptor Protection of Slovakia)

Preventing Electrocution on Railway Pylons: Results of a multi-year, dog-assisted monitoring
Johannes Hohenegger (BirdLife Austria)

New experimental bird-diverters designs and their impact assessment with a monitoring program
György Bíró (MAVIR) & Győrig Elod (MME/BirdLife Hungary)

Questions and answers

Moderator: Nikos Tsiopelas, HOS/BirdLife Greece

Factors contributing to bird mortality on power lines in Croatia
Marin Škoro (Kopački Rit Nature Park)

Data and analyses of electrocution mortality of raptors in Serbia
Marko Šćiban (BPSSS/BirdLife Serbia)

Retrofitting hazardous power lines in Bulgaria: Insights from over two decades of conservation efforts
Anton Alipiev Stamenov (BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria)

Integrating Ornithological Expertise into Power Grid Management: Lessons from the Danube Delta
Alexandru Dorosencu (Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development)

Questions and answers

Moderator: Brian McGowan, Scientias-Energy

Panelists:
Sven Aberle (Project manager of Habitat Management at Austrian Power Grid)
Joana Bernardino (Researcher at BIOPOLIS/CIBIO - Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources)
Zuzana Lančaričová (Environmental Specialist at ZSD - Energy distributor for the Western Slovakia)
Rainer Raab (CEO of TB Raab GmbH)
Thomas Schuh (Sustainability Manager at the Infrastructure Company of the Austrian Federal Railways)
Tomáš Škumát (Head of Operational Asset Management at ZSD - Energy distributor for the Western Slovakia)

Questions and answers from audience

Moderator: Marko Šćiban, Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia

Protection of Birds on Power Lines in the Czech Republic
Václav Hlaváč (Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic)

Eradicating Power-Line Electrocution as a Threat: A Regional Success Story for Bird Conservation in Andalusia
Jose Rafael Garrido López (Environment and Water Agency, Regional Government of Andalusia)

Conflict Mapping of Birds and Medium-voltage Electricity Grid in Hungary
Márton Horváth (MME/BirdLife Hungary)

Mitigation of wildlife electrocution and outages and mortality in substations
Brian McGowan (Scientias-Energy)

Evaluating efficiency of fully insulated composite cross arms in Spain
Justo Martín Martín (JMM Consulting)

Questions and answers

Moderator: Márton Horváth, MME/BirdLife Hungary

Country-scale retrofitting of insulation to reduce avian electrocution at power lines in Mongolia
Andrew Dixon (Mohamed Bin Zayed Raptor Conservation Fund); pre-recorded presentation + movie

Questions and answers

Moderator: Alexandru Dorosencu, Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development

Guidance tool for good practices in bird conservation in the development of renewable energies
Justo Martín Martín (JMM Consulting)

Petrels and power lines: assessing and reducing nocturnal seabirds collisions in Reunion island
Leo Chevillon (The Society of Ornithological Studies of Reunion)

Reclaiming the skies – a Cross-border Success: Recovery of the Great Bustard (Otis tarda) Population from Powerline Threats in the Pannonian Region
Rainer Raab (TB Raab GmbH)

Reconciling energy transition with biodiversity: the LIFE Aegypius Return approach to powerline mitigation
Milene Matos (Vulture Conservation Foundation)

Mitigation of bird electrocution and collision with power lines in Greece: Historical review, current practices, and future perspectives
Nikos Tsiopelas (HOS/BirdLife Greece)

Silent Killers: Powerlines and India’s Large Birds (pre-recorded presentation)
Sujit Narwade (Bombay Natural History Society)

Questions and answers

Moderator: Mirjana Rankov, Bird Protection and Study Society of Serbia

Lessons Learned from 20 Years of Avian Collision Mitigation in the US
James F. Dwyer (EDM International)

Eyes on the sky: How a long-term Video-based Monitoring Project Improves Bird Protection Along Power Lines in Austria and Germany
Mabel Narh (TB Raab GmbH)

High-Resolution Tracking to Assess Diverter Performance
Leo Chevillon (The Society of Ornithological Studies of Reunion)

Durability and long term effectiveness of wildlife mitigation solutions
Brian McGowan (Scientias-Energy)

Questions and answers

Conference participants can visit Birds and Powerlines - Solutions Expo 2026 and Poster Session.

List of posters:

Bird-friendly design of head structures in medium-voltage networks
Szabolcs Solt (MME/BirdLife Hungary)

GREFA actions to mitigate mortality on power lines
Juan José Iglesias-Lebrija (GREFA)

Removal of the most significant black spot for electrocution for the settlement of birds of prey in the province of Jaén (Andalusia)
Juan José Iglesias-Lebrija (GREFA)

Saving Birds, Strengthening Grids: A Spanish Success Story for the World
Justo Martín Martín (WildlifeLab)

Power line-induced morbidity and mortality in Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus): Insights from a reintroduction program in the Eastern Rhodopes, Bulgaria
Anton Stamenov (BSPB/BirdLife Bulgaria)

Enhancing Railway Safety and Wildlife Protection: Custom Silicone Solutions for Hungarian Railways
Imad Kanouni (Midsun IKM)

LIFE PowerLines4Birds: Cutting-edge strategies to protect birds from power line threats
Sara Cabezas Díaz (SEO/BirdLife)

Accelerating Energy Infrastructure without Losing Biodiversity: Migratory Birds and Power Line Planning under RED III in Central Europe
Aleksandra Szurlej-Kielańska (TACTUS)

Preventing Avian collisions, mitigation technology and global experience
Brian McGowan (Scientias-Energy)

Composite Cross-Arms to prevent bird electrocution on power lines
Héctor de Santos (SHEMAR)

Moderator: Václav Hlaváč, Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic

DTEK Grids' biodiversity conservation results
Olena Potapenko (DTEK Grids)

A decade of applied research and knowledge transfer on bird-power line interactions through a successful TSO-Academia partnership in Portugal
Ricardo C. Martins, Joana Bernardino (BIOPOLIS/CIBIO)

Study and mitigation of bird mortality on power lines in Kazakhstan (pre-recorded presentation)
Ksenia Zyukova (Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan)

How powerlines contribute to cumulative impacts on biodiversity in transportation networks
Lazaros Georgiadis (The Centre for Research & Technology, Hellas) & Elke Hahn (Federal Ministry of Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure (BMIMI))

Questions and answers