Abstract: Hainan Island is a paradise for birds. During the breeding season of birds from March to July each year, a large number of birds nest on electricity pylons and transmission lines, which not only threatens the lives of bird species, but also affects the safe and stable operation of the power grid. Speaking of bird nests, Hainan Power Grid Co., Ltd. of China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. has changed its mindset from “taking birds as trouble” to “taking birds as friends”. The company has taken the initiative to develop and install man-made nests. The practice has not only substantially reduced line trips caused by “bird nests”, but also considerably decreased the occurrence of birds’ electric shock injuries, winning both economic and ecological benefits.
Challenge
According to WWF’s Living Planet Report 2020, global populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish declined by an average of 68% between 1970 and 2016, with over 1 million species threatened or endangered.
Hainan Island, with its mild climate and location at the midpoint of a major global migratory flyway, is a bird paradise — and a frontline for biodiversity protection. Every year from March to July, the breeding season, large numbers of birds build nests on power transmission towers and lines. Twigs and grass carried in beaks can easily touch live wires, injuring or killing the birds, while nest debris falling onto lines frequently triggers circuit trips.
Bird-related faults account for roughly 15% of all transmission line defects annually, seriously compromising electricity reliability. Reconciling grid security with the protection of avian life and habitats has become a pressing dilemma for power grid operators.
Solution
Hainan Power Grid, a subsidiary of China Southern Power Grid, transformed its approach from bird deterrence to bird guidance, innovatively developing artificial nests for high-voltage overhead transmission lines to achieve a win-win for ecological protection and grid reliability.
Developing artificial nests: After observing and mapping bird distribution and roosting patterns, staff pivoted from eviction to guiding birds toward nesting on safe sections of transmission towers away from live components. The artificial nests, made of corrosion-resistant, anti-aging stainless steel or wire mesh, are installed at safe positions on towers — existing nests are relocated, or straw bedding is placed to attract birds. Working with ornithologists, the company mapped bird migration paths and distribution and developed a bird-related fault risk map, blending deterrence and accommodation.
Scaling up: After successful piloting on four transmission lines with zero bird-caused trips over four months and an occupancy rate exceeding 70%, the artificial nest program was rapidly rolled out island-wide — nests are placed on transmission line segments with high bird activity, and existing nests are relocated nearby without disturbance. More than half of new bird deterrents now take the form of anti-bird cages installed above insulator attachment points to discourage perching by occupying nesting space.
By end-June 2021, nearly 3,500 artificial nests had been installed on overhead lines, with plans to reach approximately 4,000.
Advocacy: The company produced a micro-film, Uncle Bird, screened for all employees, vividly portraying the practice of harmonious coexistence between power grids and birdlife. Uncle Bird won the Best Work Award at the Asia Micro Film Art Festival.
Impact& Value
Economic: Artificial nests have significantly reduced bird-related trip rates. In Haikou Power Supply Bureau, the trip rate fell from 12.2% in 2017 to 6.9% in 2019, strengthening grid safety and reliability and drastically cutting transmission line maintenance costs and outage losses.
Ecological: The shift from bird expulsion to bird protection effectively safeguards avian reproduction and population development on Hainan Island — a profound demonstration of a central state-owned enterprise’s ecological responsibility, with the 70%+ occupancy rate affirming birds’ rapid adaptation to the new habitat solution.
Social: Xinhua News Agency distributed text, photo, and video stories in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Russian, picked up by international outlets including Russia’s TASS and the US MSN website. The micro-film Uncle Bird premiered on People’s Daily, was twice promoted by the Xuexi Qiangguo platform, received a thousand-word endorsement in Hainan Daily, and twice trended on Weibo’s hot search with over 70 million cumulative views. Winning the Best Work Award at the 8th Asia Micro Film Festival powerfully amplified the brand image of a Chinese SOE with distinctive characteristics.
Industry: The project represents China’s first successful deployment of artificial nests on transmission lines. In collaboration with ornithologists and educational institutions, Hainan Power Grid has contributed to ecological balance and environmental protection, offering a replicable model for biodiversity conservation across all sectors.