In November 2021, DTEK Tiligul WPP employees, in partnership with the management of the Tiligul Regional Landscape Park, implemented a unique Bird Islands eco-project by building 1,500 m2 of artificial islands for nesting rare aquatic bird species. The project aims to preserve biodiversity in our country.
Bird Islands are artificial wooden platforms covered with straw and dry grass where birds can build nests. The platforms are optimally adjusted to the estuary water level, inaccessible to predators and humans, so it is difficult to disturb birds with their presence. The Tiligul Estuary is a place of mass nesting and concentration of birds during seasonal migrations. The protected location hosts about 270 species of birds accounting for two-thirds of the entire avifauna of Ukraine. The total number of birds migrating through the estuary sometimes reaches up to fifty thousand. Some birds spend the winter here. This area is part of the main European migration route for birds, and there are more than 40 rare species of avifauna listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and the European Red List making Tiligul Park truly unique.
In April 2021, DTEK Tiligul WPP employees built three large artificial islands in the Tiligul Estuary, consisting of platforms for nesting rare waterfowl. The total area of the islands is 500 m2, and in November the project was expanded to 1,500 m2.
Already this summer, after the first islands were established, the birds nested both in the usual natural places and on artificial platforms. During the project implementation, the park staff monitored changes in the bird population in this area. The first results indicate a positive impact of the project on the territory’s ecology.
“Even in the protected area, birds are not safe from threats to their numbers and reproductive performance. There is a shortage of nesting sites in the Tiligul Regional Landscape Park, and there are many negative factors affecting bird populations. Dangers from both humans and wild animals destroy nests and kill birds’ offspring. Creating Bird Islands has increased bird populations: the avifauna’s offspring breeding success rate was 90% on artificial platforms, while it is much lower in natural conditions – from 30% to 50%. We are expecting our feathered friends in new homes for nesting already in the spring," said Oleh Derkach, director of the Tiligul Regional Landscape Park.
“DTEK Renewables is guided in its activities by ESG – environmental, social and managerial sustainability principles. Not only do we generate clean electricity from renewable sources, but we also implement projects protecting biodiversity and ecosystems in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Our Bird Islands eco-project preserves and, under favorable conditions, increases the populations of birds nesting in the Tiligul Regional Landscape Park. The platforms designed by the engineers provide birds with additional opportunities for quiet breeding,” said Oleh Solovei, Director of DTEK Tiligul WPP.
