High-speed railway (HSR) networks are rapidly expanding and are predicted to continue to grow over coming decades. However, there is scant knowledge of their environmental impacts. Their possible effects on bird mortality, particularly at viaducts, gives especial cause for concern. This work presents the results of a nine-month monitoring of bird activity in the vicinity of three HSR viaducts in Central Spain. The study focused on the effects of the infrastructure regarding bird frequentation of the site and on bird flight activity in the danger zone for collision with passing trains. The findings show (i) that bird communities may differ markedly between sites and (ii) that bird activity increases near the railway together with changes in relative species abundances. Furthermore, (iii) birds show a significant tendency to avoid flying across the danger zone, but (iv) all kinds of birds are at a real risk of collisions with trains at viaducts. The greatest danger is at viaduct extremes rather than in their central section, particularly during gusts of wind and for small or medium-sized birds. It also appears that relatively low viaducts might pose greater risk. In practical terms, these results (i) emphasise the need for thorough prior prospection of bird species present, and their flight patterns, where new viaducts are to be built, (ii) show that there is a real risk of bird collisions with trains at viaducts, which should be mitigated, with particular attention due to viaduct extremes and areas where their height is not much above the surrounding vegetation and (iii) strongly indicate the need to minimise viaduct features that may attract birds to them, for example as potential nest sites ; This study is derived from research into the ecology and mortality of birds at highspeed railways done under project EU LIFE+ Impacto Cero (LIFE 12 BIO/ES/000660). JEM and JH form part of the REMEDINAL TE-CM research network, funded by the Comunidad de Madrid (P2018/ EMT-4338). Comments by two anonymous reviewers improved ...
Bird flight behavior, collision risk and mitigation options at high-speed railway viaducts
2023-10-23
902
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Bird behavior , Kite , Mitigation , Railway ecology , Roadkill , Vulture , Medio Ambiente
The critical speed notion concerning the high-speed railway viaducts
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|Reinforced concrete railway viaducts near Belfast
Engineering Index Backfile | 1933
|Innovative omega profile for the modena viaducts of high speed railway
British Library Conference Proceedings | 2003
|The protected railway depot and viaducts
Engineering Index Backfile | 1897
Trestle viaducts on the great western railway
Engineering Index Backfile | 1921