Do Wind Turbines Kill Birds?

lewisa · #31 (**permalink**) 29-06-2010, 03:54 PM

Do Wind Turbines Kill Birds?

Not as many as they could do, were it not for Natural England and the planning system.

Still, not to worry, we've got the magic Texas Tea that doesnt kill birds ever.

BillyPilgrim · #32 (**permalink**) 29-06-2010, 05:06 PM

Do the large wind turbines have lights on them?

I only ask because a friend of mine reckons that birds can be attracted by lights. The unfortunate bird in the photo flew into the main mast of his ship during the night. Apparently it is not a rare event when they are in port. I wouldn't have thought they would be airborne in the dark but that's what he claims!

Not sure what the bird is though? The photo was taken in East Cove in the Falkland Islands.

Lancashire Lad · #33 (**permalink**) 02-07-2010, 02:29 PM

Do wind turbines kill birds - There is no doubt that they do, and don't get me wrong, I'm by no means a great fan of wind turbines cluttering up our skylines, but I think this has to be kept in context.

Research in Denmark suggests that approximately 30,000 birds are killed there annually by wind turbines. (Note that Denmark has more turbines than Britain). Assuming there are no mitigating parameters that would make Denmark unusual, and using those figures as benchmark, one would assume that the numbers should be less than 30,000 for Britain.

Figures for birds killed by domestic cats in Britain are 55,000,000 (Yes 55 Million, - or more than 1800 times as many killed by cats than by turbines).

I can accept the possibility that the greater percentage of birds killed by turbines might be the physically larger ones, including raptors, (although there doesn't seem to be any readily available evidence to support this theory), whereas cat kills will mostly be smaller birds.

But, if we are simply discussing overall numbers, wind turbines are far less dangerous to birds than domestic cats.

Regards,
Mike.

solus · #34 (**permalink**) 02-07-2010, 05:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BillyPilgrim

Not sure what the bird is though? The photo was taken in East Cove in the Falkland Islands.

I'm not sure exactly which species, but it looks like an Albatross. How sad.

solus · #35 (**permalink**) 06-07-2010, 11:26 AM

On today's BBC News from Dorset:
BBC News - Dorset school's 'bird killer' wind turbine turned off

"A primary school in Dorset has switched off its wind turbine after seabirds kept getting killed by the blades.

Southwell Primary on Portland saw 14 birds killed in six months after it was installed 18 months ago.

Head teacher Stuart McLeod said he has been coming to school early to clear up the dead birds to minimise the distress to pupils."

It's not a very big turbine either.

Novus · #36 (**permalink**) 07-07-2010, 11:20 AM

I've heard than other than the immediate danger of the spinning blades. Bats are very frequently killed by the preasure differental that the blades cause; this causes their lungs to litteraly explode.

Farplace · #37 (**permalink**) 08-07-2010, 08:31 AM

So simply "caging" the turbine blades won't stop the damage.... I am all for using wind/wave/solar/geothermal power, but not if it will cause harm.

STYRBJORN · #38 (**permalink**) 09-07-2010, 07:06 PM

Just for the sake of accuracy, wind turbines do not "kill birds". Wind turbines just stand where they are built and do their wind turbine thing. Blades spin in the wind, drive generators to produce electricity . . .

Human beings kill birds by sticking blurry great fans up in the birds' flight path. This is not a trivial point. Guns don't kill people. People use guns to kill people.

Just a shift of viewpoint.

STYRBJORN