Wind turbines have become an increasingly popular means of producing electricity. The energy they create is used to power homes and businesses alike.
They are also being utilized to power the world’s roads, railways and airports; however, many people worry about their impact on birds.
What are the risks?
Wind turbines and birds may not be a natural match, but they still carry risks. While the threat posed by wind power facilities is less than that posed by coal, oil or nuclear energy sources, it can still cause harm to habitats, disrupt wildlife movement patterns and disrupt important ecological connections.
Birds are particularly at risk from wind power facilities due to direct collision with the rotor blades of turbines, which attract birds that can easily be injured or killed if they fall into them (Roscioni et al. 2013).
Birds and bats are vulnerable to noise, disturbance and disruption of their habitat. This can result in a decrease in the number of birds and bats within an area (Roscioni et. 2014).
Migrating birds are particularly vulnerable to being struck by rotor blades due to their size and weight; large birds such as swans and geese cannot detect wind turbines due to their size and mass.
Some birds, such as raptors and hen harriers, are slow to reproduce; so even a few deaths can have a significant effect on their populations. Some species such as vultures and eagles are especially sensitive to climate changes than other birds due to their slower growth rates.
This can impact their migration patterns and the ability to locate suitable nesting, feeding grounds and roosting grounds. Furthermore, it could reduce reproduction by decreasing the number of young they can raise.
Another potential risk is the destruction of habitat due to the construction of wind farms and their associated infrastructure. This includes trees that birds use for food or shelter, land clearing to set up turbines, as well as any construction processes themselves.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) affirms its support of wind power, but cautions that some poorly sited wind farms have caused significant bird casualties in California and Spain. While these cases are isolated, they can be indicative of poor planning in sensitive areas – though better-located windfarms do not cause the same level of harm.
What are the mitigation measures?
Bird deaths remain one of the greatest obstacles to wind energy development. While this issue has a long history, it remains very real today and can often stall projects due to delays.
Any renewable energy project must take great care in its location to avoid endangering wildlife, especially birds and bats. That is why several organizations have joined forces to reduce the negative impacts on nature.
There are various measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of bird collisions with wind turbines. These include painting the rotor blades or towers, using UV light and smart micro-siting of turbines.
These are all achievable and cost-effective measures that can make your wind farm more bird-friendly. Furthermore, they help protect the environment while cutting energy costs.
The primary danger for birds is they can come into collision with wind turbine blades and power lines, or get trapped inside a turbine’s interior space. This poses particular danger to large birds such as eagles and vultures due to their size.
To reduce bird fatalities, there are a few key approaches that are employed around the world. These include avoiding areas predicted as high risk, minimising wind turbine impacts on wildlife, and compensating for losses.
Though there are numerous solutions available, finding one solution that addresses all wildlife threats is likely not possible. That is because each species has its own unique set of vulnerabilities.
Avoidance can be achieved through consultation with local conservation groups and determining if there are any high-risk areas at the proposed site before beginning planning the project. It is then essential to adhere to their guidance as set out by these organizations.
When considering where to build, it’s important to assess the site’s proximity to protected areas and conduct a more in-depth survey of avian populations. Doing this gives you insight into both the impact your development may have on nearby wildlife as well as potential risks posed to endangered species.
What are the alternatives?
Wind turbines have become an increasingly common energy source around the world in recent decades. While they provide a cleaner and cheaper alternative to fossil fuels, some environmentalists worry about their impact on birds.
Many are concerned that wind turbines are killing birds and bats. Some critics use insensitive language such as “bird mincers” or “bird blenders.”
Wind power has the least environmental impact of any energy source, except solar. This is because wind produces no emissions of pollutants and emits very little carbon dioxide.
However, bird mortality continues to occur and needs to be addressed. Some companies are working on innovative technological solutions to help mitigate this problem.
One potential solution is to redesign turbine designs. Engineers have devised new concepts that are bird-friendly and can be built at lower heights. This could reduce the amount of time the blades spin, thus minimizing collisions between them and birds or bats.
Another alternative is to locate wind turbines away from high-density habitats like wetlands, ridge edges and important bird areas. These areas provide essential nesting, feeding and roosting sites for wildlife.
The American Bird Conservancy strongly urges against wind farms being situated near wetlands or rocky cliffs where birds tend to congregate. Other good places for wind farms to avoid are migratory bottlenecks or flight paths used by endangered species.
Some companies are testing technologies to detect birds — particularly raptors and bats — and shut down specific turbines until they pass. These sensors and cameras would enable operators to see when these animals are nearby and take action before becoming a safety hazard.
Some companies have even designed wind turbines that don’t look like traditional turbines at all, with the “Windstalk” concept. This design uses giant cattail-like poles to capture energy from wind without spinning blades.
Other methods to reduce the risk of collisions between wind turbines and birds and bats include developing more streamlined towers without lattice structures that may attract birds, or designing turbine blades with larger diameters. This could reduce collisions significantly and save many birds and bats from death.
What are the consequences?
Wind turbines, which are often situated near landscape features used by birds and bats as habitat, have the potential to negatively affect wildlife. This could result in decreased numbers of birds and bats or even fatalities.
Birds and bats often suffer direct collisions with wind turbine rotor blades, as well as indirect mortality due to noise, habitat loss, and reduced survival or reproduction rates. Conservation groups and wildlife preservationists are increasingly calling on the wind energy industry to take steps to mitigate these effects on wild animals.
One strategy to mitigate wind farm risks is placing fewer turbines in high-risk areas, ideally at lower heights and farther away from important habitat features. This is especially pertinent for waterbirds which often migrate along linear structures such as rivers and river valleys (Drewitt & Langston 2006) or forest edges and hedges (Kelm et al. 2014).
Another mitigation measure is to avoid building wind farms in areas where birds and bats are vulnerable, or where there is a high population density. This includes avoiding turbines along bird migration routes and conducting vegetation surveys beneath the turbines to guarantee no bird prey is present.
There are various methods to reduce the effects of wind turbines on birds and bats, such as installing Ultrasonic Acoustic Deterrents (UADs) that emit sounds that make airspace around a turbine audibly uncomfortable for animals. While these methods have shown promise, further testing is necessary to confirm they work effectively.
Raptors such as the Golden Eagle and Griffon Vulture often suffer fatal collisions with wind turbines, but other species like seabirds and ground-nesting birds may also be affected. This occurs when birds fly too close to a rotor-swept area of land which creates turbulence and may cause them to lose control over their flight.
Despite the many measures taken to minimize their impacts on wildlife, some species remain at risk. These include gulls which frequently fly close to offshore turbines and puffins and terns which tend to fly low-flying or under the blades.
Hi, I’m David. I’m an author of ManagEnergy.tv where we teach people how to save energy and money in their homes and businesses.
I’ve been a writer for most of my life and have always been interested in helping people learn new things. When I was younger, I would write short stories for my classmates and teach them how to do math problems.
I love traveling and have been lucky enough to visit some fantastic places around the world.
