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Scientists at the University of Malaga have gathered field evidence showing that six raptor species made regular use of a solar photovoltaic installation in southern Spain throughout a monitoring effort lasting two and a half years.
The paper, titled Raptors Using a Solar Photovoltaic Facility in Southern Spain, appeared in the Journal of Raptor Research and documents how birds of prey engage with PV infrastructure in open farming landscapes.
The fieldwork took place at a 299-hectare, 150 MW PV plant in Seville province. The site employs fixed-tilt modules arranged with even spacing between rows, set within a flat to gently undulating terrain where cereal crops dominate, alongside scattered olive groves and patches of natural vegetation that include stone pine.
Six raptor species were identified at the facility. The black kite proved most numerous, with the common buzzard and common kestrel following.
Perching atop modules, posts and fences emerged as the most common activity, logged 121 times, just ahead of flight at 120 observations. Additionally, the team documented 47 hunting events, 29 soaring instances and a single case of territorial behavior.
According to the researchers, the plant’s placement in a cereal-producing region with limited natural perching spots may account for why the birds treat PV structures as lookout points and resting areas. They further noted that hunting restrictions inside the site benefit prey animals including rabbits, hares, partridges and small mammals, boosting food supplies for raptors. Multiple hunting events were observed among the module rows.
The study also found that certain soaring species exploited thermal updrafts created by warm air rising above the PV modules to climb higher, a pattern the researchers witnessed on numerous occasions during monitoring.
Throughout the study period, no collisions or deaths were attributed to the modules, mounting structures or fencing.
The researchers warned against generalizing their results to every solar installation. They pointed out that no baseline data exist regarding the raptor population at the location prior to construction of the PV plant, and that questions remain about how the birds might react to denser concentrations of similar infrastructure, as well as potential medium- and long-term consequences.
Their recommendations included carrying out comparable studies in locations earmarked for new PV plants and establishing long-term monitoring efforts to accumulate knowledge similar to what exists for wind energy facilities.
Building on the local project, the team intends to broaden its research throughout Andalusia to evaluate how solar PV expansion impacts steppe birds, especially those tied to open agricultural environments.
The work falls under Spain’s Complementary R&D&I Plan on Biodiversity and receives funding from the Regional Ministry of University, Industry, Energy and Innovation, the Ministry of Science and Innovation, and the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program.
Scientists from UMA, BioGea Consultores, the University of Extremadura and Ofitecma Marbella made up the research team.
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