Although these studies only serve to confirm what bird-lovers have known all along, that cats are enemy number one to birds, having this confirmed by scientists has been helpful in dealing with the controversy of wind-turbines and bird deaths. With the growing demand for renewable and alternative energy sources, wind turbines are getting a lot of attention. The European Wind Energy Association held its annual event in Brussels, Belgium, on 14-17 March 2011, with up to 200 top speakers addressing the more than 8,000 visitors on various issues related to using wind to generate energy. It has been reported that up to 440,000 birds are killed annually by flying into wind turbines in the United States. While the figures seems high, when compared to the number of birds killed by domestic cats alone, it becomes clear that cats pose far more danger to birds than wind turbines do.

In the study conducted by Peter Marra and fellow scientific researchers, radio transmitters were attached to fledgling Gray Catbirds in an effort to document the factors that influenced their chances of survival. The results revealed that predators were responsible for up to 80 percent of deaths among the birds being monitored, with close to half of the predators being domestic cats. Directly related to the number of cats in the area, the fledglings had a survival rate of between 20 and 50 percent. It has been shown, especially in closed ecosystems such as islands, that cats play a significant role in declining bird populations, even hunting some bird species into extinction.

The bottom line is that the leading cause of bird deaths in the United States is collisions with buildings, windows and towers, with predators being the second most common cause. While wind turbines do lead to bird deaths, this needs to be seen in relation to the value of turbines as an alternative energy source – bearing in mind that the family cat is a far greater threat to bird populations.

Related posts:

1. Wind Power Threat to Birds
2. Birds and Outdoor Cats
3. Wind Turbines Won’t Harm Birds in the Fens

Wind energy operations could lead to the deaths of millions of birds if the correct guidelines are not put in place. In the year 2005, a report was released to highlight the threat to birds through manmade structures such as wind turbines, towers, power lines and telecommunication towers. The numbers were staggering, estimating that more than five hundred million birds were being killed by collisions with these structures in one year in the United States. The 2009 report released by the Fish and Wildlife Service showed that wind turbines were the causes of approximately four hundred and forty thousand bird deaths. Protecting vital bird species, such as bald eagles and golden eagles, is essential and the deaths of so many other birds are creating an imbalance in sensitive ecosystems. Ken Salazar, Interior Secretary, commented on the guidelines proposal by saying: “We have a responsibility to ensure that solar, wind and geothermal projects are built in the right way and in the right places so they protect our natural and cultural resources and balance the needs of our wildlife.”

Even though the American Bird Conservancy knows that the guidelines will not eliminate bird deaths completely, it will save millions of bird lives as the wind industry grows. Vice President of the American Bird Conservancy, Mike Parr, commented: “Let’s not fast-track wind energy at the expense of America’s birds. Just a few small changes need to be made to make wind bird-smart, but without these, wind power simply can’t be considered a green technology.” Bird groups and foundations are hoping that their guidelines will be taken seriously by the government, in order for technology to develop without damaging the environment.

Related posts:

1. Cats are Number One Threat to Birds
2. Wind Turbines Won’t Harm Birds in the Fens
3. 2011 State of the Birds Report

It seems to be a glaringly obvious concern – will the installation of additional wind farms in lowland agricultural areas in the UK cause birds to abandon the area? They are, after all, very noisy, large and full of movement. New research suggests that the answer to this all-important question is no.

A new scheme to put up additional wind turbines in agricultural areas to meet renewable energy targets seems to be safe. The Journal of Applied Ecology set about studying the impact that existing turbines had on wind farms in the Fens and discovered that approximately 3 000 birds from as many as 33 different species were living quite comfortably within 750 meters of the turbines at both of the farms under observation. Despite concerns that the 100-meter high turbines might disturb birds due to noise and the possibility of collision, it seems that the birds have adjusted to these turbines without so much as batting an eye-lid. They certainly seemed to have no impact on the distribution of a variety of birds, including skylarks, game birds, crows and seed-eaters. Pretty much the only birds that seemed to have been disturbed by the environmentally-friendly power source were common pheasants, which are not very manoeuvrable. In addition to this discovery, it was found that five red-listed species were living comfortably around the turbines, namely the tree sparrow, the corn bunting, the yellowhammer, the skylark and the common reed bunting.

According to Dr Mark Whittingham of Newcastle University, previous studies of this sort had focused mainly on geese, waders and birds of prey – species which are mainly found in coastal and upland areas. The new research shows that the wind tunnels are unlikely to have a very detrimental effect on farmland birds. This is good news for researchers since it likely means that the UK can not only meet renewable energy targets, but that schemes to boost the wildlife on farmlands in the area will not be at risk. While the research did not consider all the variables, it does seem that for the most part, the turbines just don’t really affect small farmland birds. In fact, they pose much more of a threat to bats, which often haemorrhage when they are exposed to the drop in pressure near the blades. This hopefully wont pose too much of a problem if wind farms are positioned in areas that are not too near to places with high concentrations of bats.

Related posts:

1. Wind Power Threat to Birds
2. Cats are Number One Threat to Birds
3. The Effect of Urban Growth on Birds