Saudi Arabia is the fastest growing electricity consumer in the Middle East, with a rapidly expanding network of powerlines. Bird mortality through electrocution and collision has been recorded in the country, but so far there is little information as to how much the electricity infrastructure affects globally threatened raptor populations that migrate to Saudi Arabia. In 2019, the world’s largest wintering congregation of Steppe Eagles Aquila nipalensis was discovered near a rubbish dump in central Saudi Arabia. We evaluated whether powerlines in the vicinity of this, and another congregation site, caused mortality of large birds. In November 2019, we surveyed powerlines within 6 km of two focal rubbish dumps at Al Qunfudhah (12.4 km) and Ushaiqer (2 km). We found 52 carcasses of five species, of which 85% were Steppe Eagles. Based on the age of these carcasses, we coarsely extrapolate that 14.4 km of powerlines near these two congregation sites may kill 94–240 Steppe Eagles per winter, representing up to 0.3% of their global population. We call for the urgent safeguarding of powerlines that cause mortality near known Steppe Eagle congregation sites, and the adoption and implementation of regulations that ensure that future infrastructure is constructed with designs that are safe for birds.

沙特阿拉伯是中东地区增长最快的电力消费国，电力线网络迅速扩大。该国已经记录了因触电和碰撞导致的鸟类死亡，但到目前为止，关于电力基础设施对迁移到沙特阿拉伯的全球受威胁的猛禽种群的影响程度的信息很少。2019年，世界上最大的草原鹰越冬群落Aquila nipalensis在沙特阿拉伯中部的一个垃圾场附近被发现。我们评估了附近和另一个集会地点的电力线是否会导致大型鸟类死亡。2019 年 11 月，我们在 Al Qunfudhah（12.4 公里）和 Ushaiqer（2 公里）的两个焦点垃圾场 6 公里范围内调查了电力线。我们发现了五个物种的 52 具尸体，其中 85% 是草原鹰。根据这些尸体的年龄，我们粗略推断，这两个聚集地附近 14.4 公里的电力线每年冬天可能会杀死 94-240 只草原鹰，占其全球人口的 0.3%。我们呼吁紧急保护导致已知草原鹰集会地点附近死亡的电力线，并通过和实施确保未来基础设施的设计对鸟类安全的规定。