Guangzhou, China has abundant bird resources, with a total of around 300 species of birds based on comprehensive historical data, accounting for 45.8% of the total number of bird species in Guangdong Province. Birds, especially herons, magpies, sparrows, prefer to perch on the higher transmission line towers, which often lead to flashover and tripping of transmission lines, posing a significant threat to the safe and stable operation of transmission lines.
China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd follows the principle of "prevention in advance, handling during the event, and disposal after the event", starting from three aspects: personal prevention, physical prevention, and technical prevention. It has improved the commonly used isolation and expulsion measures mainly based on "blocking" to guidance based approach, combining "blocking" and "dredging", and established comprehensive bird protection and control measures. Establishment of a bird conservation system using data-driven techniques. Efforts have been made to develop a "Bird Species Information Retrieval Database", and map the distribution of bird hazards along power lines, in order to predict the time and location of bird activities in advance, and carry out bird protection actions in advance.
By creating favorable conditions for birds to inhabit and reproduce through artificial and proactive means, birds can be protected and attracted, allowing birds and power systems to coexist harmoniously.
Currently, China Southern Power Grid Company is using digital means to grasp the distribution of bird activities. In the Guangzhou area, there are more than 1,200 artificial bird nest preservation points on the power transmission lines, with a nest building trace rate of over 80%. More than 200 young birds have been successfully hatched, providing breeding and habitat for protected birds such as the oriental white stork and black-collared starling. The average annual investment in bird prevention is reduced by more than RMB 3 million. The number of bird-related hazard trips has been decreasing year by year, reducing operation and maintenance costs by about RMB 1 million. Positive social benefits have been generated while promoting the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.