Project Suspension
Technicians from the Fundación para la Conservación del Quebrantahuesos (FCQ) and nature protection agents from the Government of Aragón found the mutilated carcass of the bearded vulture “Masía” beneath the blades of a wind turbine in the Refollas wind complex, located in Castellón.
The body was found in the Teruel municipality of Luco de Bordón, just 15 metres from the border with Castellón and 40 metres from the wind turbine. According to official records, the managers of these installations are the companies RENOMAR and ACCIONA, responsible for the management and maintenance of this wind farm.
After receiving authorisation from the EU LIFE Unit, the FCQ have suspended the re introduction project in Maestrazgo.
I wrote about this subject last year. https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/a-wind-farm-project-is-halting-the-reintroduction-of-the-bearded-vulture-in-the-maestrazgo/
Discovery of Masía’s Body
Monitoring and Discovery
The satellite beacon carried by the bird, which was monitored daily by the FCQ, alerted them to an activity anomaly that suggested Masía had suffered an accident. When professionals arrived at the scene, they could only confirm the bearded vulture’s death, which showed clear signs of impact.
A First in Spain
This is the first time in Spain that a bearded vulture has died from being struck by a wind turbine. According to the FCQ, Masía’s death highlights “the lethal impact that poorly designed wind farms have on Spanish biodiversity.” The entity, which directs the European LIFE project, is preparing to report the incident to the Environmental Prosecutor’s Office in Teruel.
According to Gerardo Báguena, director of the reintroduction project, “while companies invest vast amounts of money in large self-promotion campaigns to convince society of the sustainability of wind energy production, the facts show a different reality: the daily death of hundreds of animals in Spain, deaths that occur anonymously and are only revealed when using satellite beacon technology as employed in the monitoring of endangered species.”
The Bearded Vulture’s Endangered Status
The bearded vulture, extinct in much of Europe, is listed as “endangered” in Spain’s National Catalogue of Endangered Species. The FCQ, in collaboration with the autonomous communities and MITERD, through the EU’s LIFE programmes, works on its recovery in the Picos de Europa, the Sierra de Gredos, and the Sierra del Maestrazgo.
Read more about the bearded vulture and its endangered status here: https://wildsideholidays.co.uk/bearded-vulture-gypaetus-barbatus-quebrantahuesos/
Recent Tragic Losses
Masía was released in Maestrazgo in July 2022 alongside the male Sabino. Just four months later, Sabino died from electrocution on a power line. With Masía’s death, the last bearded vulture flying over the skies of Teruel has disappeared.
Impact of Wind Farms on Conservation Efforts
The current wind farm expansion in Spain in areas of high ecological value, without the necessary technological measures to reduce bird mortality, jeopardises the efforts invested by European and national institutions, research centres, and NGOs in the goal of recovering endangered species. Incidents like the one we are reporting today undo decades of effort, commitment, and monitoring in the recovery and protection of Spanish biodiversity.
This article has been translated from the original Spanish version here: https://quebrantahuesos.org/muere-por-primera-vez-en-espana-un-quebrantahuesos-golpeado-por-un-aerogenerador/
Ronda Today
Everything you need to know before you visit Ronda “The city of dreams” in Andalucia. https://www.rondatoday.com/
Visit Cádiz
Planning on visiting Cádiz? Tourist information. Monuments. Hotels. Activities. City guides: https://visitingcadiz.com/
The Caminito del Rey
Find tickets for the Caminito del Rey: https://www.caminodelrey.es/
Wildside Holidays – Spain
Take a trip on the Wildside! Discover the wildlife and nature of Spain, its Natural and National Parks and find the top wildlife, activity and walking holiday companies.
Iberia Nature Forum
Discover the Iberia Nature Forum – Environment, geography, nature, landscape, climate, culture, history, rural tourism and travel.
I’ve been living in this lovely area of Western Andalucia for the last 20 years or so and dedicate most of my time to the running of English language tourist information websites for the towns of Cádiz, Ronda, Grazalema, the famous or infamous Caminito del Rey, and also Wildside Holidays, which promotes sustainable and eco-friendly businesses running wildlife and walking holidays in Spain.