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Bird electrocutions on Alicante power line spark fresh environmental protests
Two protected glossy ibises were found dead in the Sierra de Escalona mountain range on the border with Murcia
Environmental campaigners are once again raising the alarm after two more protected birds were found dead beneath a power line in the Sierra de Escalona, the mountain range that stretches across the southern tip of Alicante province along the border with the Region of Murcia, taking in parts of Orihuela, San Miguel de Salinas and Pilar de la Horadada.
The two glossy ibises were discovered on June 6 after apparently colliding with power cables. They were found by the same local resident who had previously come across three dead birds at the exact same spot back in August 2025, close to an irrigation pond that's popular with the species for feeding and bathing.
The area falls under the recently approved Sierra de Escalona Natural Resources Management Plan (PORN).
According to the environmental group Friends of the Southern Alicante Wetlands (AHSA), these latest deaths are particularly frustrating given what happened after last year's discovery.
Following a complaint filed by the group in September, the regional Ministry of the Environment had ordered the company responsible for the power line to fit anti-collision devices, often referred to as bird diverters, within three months.
AHSA explained that a response received in January confirmed a necropsy had shown the birds found in 2025 died as a result of colliding with the cables.The association believes these new deaths simply wouldn't have happened if that requirement had actually been carried out. As a result, they've contacted the regional ministry again to report the latest incident and are calling for disciplinary action to be taken against the power line's owner.
AHSA has also pointed out that the glossy ibis is a protected species, listed under the List of Wild Species under Special Protection (LESRPE) as part of Spain's Law on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity.
On top of that, the spot where the birds died falls within Priority Area 11, known as Sierra de Escalona-Dehesa de Campoamor, an area specifically protected against bird collisions and electrocutions. Under the rules covering these zones, repeated deaths of protected birds can lead to sanctions against the power line's owner.
The group has also renewed an earlier request for repairs to be made to poles along this stretch of line, some of which still have exposed live components that could pose an electrocution risk. According to AHSA, this part of their complaint wasn't addressed in the response they received back in January.
Images: AHSA / F. Sáez
