sunday times: wind farms and birds

Today's news is a story from the New Scientist on the potential for serious bird declines due to wind farms. A review of wind farm studies, made by the Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation (CEBC), concluded that wind farms reduce the abundance of many bird species, especially waterfowl near wind farms sited at estuaries and in shallow coastal waters. The review noted that most studies thus far have been at small wind farms and/or been short term; there is concern that bird abundance may continue to decline over time. 

"We are not saying we should stop building wind farms. Birds would suffer much more from climate change if we don't," says Andy Pullin of the Centre for Evidence-Based Conservation at the University of Birmingham in the UK, one of the authors of the review. "But the data shows we have to be much more careful about where we site them."

I have met Andy Pullin, and greatly admire the work of CEBC and the concept behind it. Wind farming is becoming a big issue in the Great Lakes region, and I'll be following further studies closely.

More info on wind farms and birds:

• USFWS interim guidelines on avoiding and minimizing impacts on wildlife from wind turbines
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds position (with links in sidebars)
• American Bird Conservancy wind energy policy
• BirdLife International report on windfarms and birds
• New Jersey Audubon position paper on wind power energy