ATAN Raises Alarm Over Continued Bird Deaths on Tenerife’s Highways
The Tenerife Association of Nature Friends (ATAN) has reported a persistent problem of wild bird fatalities due to collisions with transparent acoustic screens installed along various sections of Tenerife’s highways, particularly the TF-1. According to the organisation, this issue has been documented “over several months” by volunteers from various environmental groups, who have repeatedly found dead birds near these structures.
Documented Species
Among the species identified are serins, blackbirds, doves, and other wild birds. The association explains that these birds “collide with transparent panels as they do not perceive them as obstacles.” They have communicated their findings to the environmental agents of the Cabildo de Tenerife, who have collected the specimens and prepared the relevant reports to officially document these cases.
Concerns Raised
ATAN asserts that this situation was raised “months ago with the competent areas of the Cabildo, particularly the Roads Service.” However, they note that “no corrective measures have been taken, nor has there been a response to the communications sent.” The association highlights that bird mortality due to collisions with transparent or reflective surfaces is “a well-studied issue internationally.”
Various studies cited by the organisation indicate that such structures “cause over a billion bird deaths annually in the United States, a situation that has led to the development of effective preventive measures to mitigate these impacts.”
Proposed Solutions
Among the proposed solutions are “the installation of vinyls, markings, or graphic patterns on transparent surfaces to enhance their visibility.” Such actions, outlined in the guidelines from the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility for the design of acoustic screens, are deemed “low-cost and quick to implement.” ATAN further warns that this issue may be “occurring on other sections of highways and roads on the island where similar acoustic barriers exist.” Therefore, they are calling for a technical assessment “of all these infrastructures and the widespread implementation of preventive measures.”
Legal Action
The organisation has announced that if urgent measures to halt this mortality are not adopted, they will initiate “legal actions to demand accountability for the lack of action on a problem considered known and documented.”
