Mapping the Danger Zones to Protect Brazil's Endangered Lear's Macaws Electrocution
Researchers develop a cost-effective mapping tool to pinpoint high-risk power line areas for endangered species conservation
Electric shock hazard threatens recovery efforts
Lear’s Macaw, one of the world’s most threatened parrots, faces a growing and deadly risk from power lines that cross its arid homeland in north-eastern Brazil. A new study led by BirdLife International’s Larissa Biasotto has developed a pioneering framework to identify the specific areas where these electrocutions are most likely to occur – and where prevention would be most effective.
The research, published in the *Journal of Applied Ecology*, used the Lear’s Macaw (Anodorhynchus leari) as a case study to demonstrate how conservationists can combine ecological data with energy grid mapping to target limited resources where they will save the most lives. The species, confined to the semi-arid Caatinga region, frequently perches on pylons for resting and social interaction due to the scarcity of tall trees – a behaviour that brings it fatally close to live cables.
Pinpointing the hotspots
The study revealed that electrocution risk is not evenly spread across the grid. Instead, high-risk zones cluster around key feeding and roosting areas, particularly where the macaws’ main food source, the licuri palm (Syagrus coronata), grows close to power infrastructure. The team validated their risk maps against known macaw deaths from electrocution and found the model accurately predicted the danger zones.
“By combining where birds spend their time with where dangerous pylons exist, we can highlight the areas that need immediate attention,” said Biasotto. “Our framework allows energy companies and conservation planners to act before more birds are lost.”
Cost-effective conservation
The researchers also conducted a cost–benefit analysis to determine how many pylons would need retrofitting to achieve meaningful reductions in bird deaths. They found that insulating just 10% of pylons in the highest-risk areas – around 37,000 structures – could cut electrocution events by 80%. Retrofitting 20% would reduce deaths by up to 90%.
“Prioritising the right pylons can save both birds and money,” said co-author Fernando Ascensão. “By focusing on the riskiest parts of the grid, conservation becomes much more efficient.”
Wider implications for bird conservation
Though centred on Lear’s Macaw, the approach could be applied to many species across biodiversity-rich regions threatened by grid expansion. The study highlights how electrical infrastructure is expanding rapidly in developing countries, often without environmental safeguards. The same region also supports the recently reintroduced Spix’s Macaw (Cyanopsitta spixii), which may face similar hazards.
The authors stress that mitigation must be immediate, as electrocutions are already undermining recovery programmes. They also call for improved data sharing between conservationists and power companies to refine risk assessments and avoid unnecessary financial waste. Behavioural studies of how parrots interact with pylons will also help design more durable deterrents, since existing measures for raptors may not withstand a macaw’s powerful bill.
A model for proactive protection
Biasotto and her colleagues hope their mapping framework will encourage more proactive mitigation before new lines are built. In practice, this means identifying areas to avoid during route planning or installing bird-safe designs from the outset. For existing networks, their maps offer a blueprint for reactive mitigation – retrofitting the most dangerous pylons first.
“Electricity access and biodiversity conservation can go hand in hand,” said Biasotto. “But only if we plan carefully and act strategically. The tools now exist to do both.”
October 2025
Read the full paper here
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