Study Eases Fear About Wind Farm Threat to Birds

PlanetArk 1 Oct 08;

LONDON - Wind turbines do not drive birds from surrounding areas, British researchers said on Wednesday, in findings which could make it easier to build more wind farms.

Conservation groups have raised fears that large birds could get caught in the turbines and that the structures could disturb other species.

But scientists found only one of the 23 species studied, the pheasant, was affected during their survey of two wind farms in eastern England.

The findings published in the Journal of Applied Ecology could help government and business efforts to boost the number of wind farms as a way to increase production of renewable energy.

"This is the first evidence suggesting that the present and future location of large numbers of wind turbines on European farmland is unlikely to have detrimental effects on farmland birds," Mark Whittingham, whose team from Newcastle University carried out the research, said in a statement.

"This should be welcome news for nature conservationists, wind energy companies and policy makers."

The survey studied the impact of two wind farms on about 3,000 birds in the area, including five species of conservation concern -- the yellowhammer, the Eurasian tree sparrow, the corn bunting, the Eurasian skylark and the common reed bunting.

The researchers recorded the density of birds at different distances from the turbines and found that aside from the pheasant, the structures posed no problems.

The new findings are important because the European Union is committed to generating 20 percent of its energy from renewable resources by 2020 and is also seeking to boost biodiversity.

The study did not look at the danger of the birds colliding with the turbines, which has been a worry of conservationists, Whittingham said.

Spanish utility Iberdrola, Germany's E.ON and Scottish & Southern Energy all operate wind farms.

In August, Czech power group CEZ announced plans to build the biggest onshore wind park in Europe. (Reporting by Michael Kahn; Editing by Avril Ormsby)

Farmland birds not bothered by wind turbines, study finds
Paul Eccleston, The Telegraph 1 Oct 08

Farmland birds aren't bothered by wind turbines being built in the countryside, a new study has found.

The sight and sound of ranks of whirling 100-metre high turbines had little effect on the numbers of birds in the area, scientists found.

The results will disappoint conservation groups, who claim turbines pose a threat to birds but will provide a boost for wind energy groups who want to erect hundreds of wind farms around Britain.

The study, published in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology, concludes that wind farms can help meet tough sustainable energy targets without threatening biodiversity on European farmland.

A study by a team from Newcastle University conducted bird surveys on arable farmland around two wind farms in the East Anglian fens during the winter time.

They recorded almost 3,000 birds from 33 different species, including five red-listed species of high conservation concern - the yellowhammer, the Eurasian tree sparrow, the corn bunting, Eurasian skylark and the common reed bunting.

They found the wind turbines had no effect on the distribution of seed-eating birds, corvids (the crow family), gamebirds and Eurasian skylarks. Common pheasants - the largest and least manoeuvrable species - were the only birds whose distribution was affected by the turbines.

Dr Mark Whittingham, who led the team, said: "This is the first evidence suggesting that the present and future location of large numbers of wind turbines on European farmland is unlikely to have detrimental effects on farmland birds.

"This should be welcome news for nature conservationists, wind energy companies and policy makers. With large numbers of wind farms needing to be built on lowland areas, the cumulative impacts on farmland bird species has the potential to be a significant constraint to development."

The study didn't look at the risk of birds colliding with the turbines but whether birds might be disturbed by their size and the noise they produce and erect 'no fly zones' around them.

But even when they looked at areas within 0-75 m of the turbines they found no evidence of farmland birds avoiding them.

Wind power is being increasingly used across Europe as a key component in meeting the EU's target of getting 20 per cent of energy from renewable sources by 2020 to help reduce the threats from global warming.

In the UK it is predicted that approximately 10 per cent of electricity production will come from onshore wind power sites by 2020 which will mean approximately 4,400 new turbines.

But this has to be balanced against a dramatic fall in farmland bird populations - a 40 per cent decline between 1980 and 2005 across 20 EU countries - caused by more intensive farming methods.

The study seems to suggest that there is no conflict between Agri Environment Schemes (AES), where farmers receive subsidies for environmentally friendly farming schemes to protect wildlife, and the siting of wind turbines on lowland farmland in the UK.

Dr Whittingham said previous studies had concentrated on the impact of wind turbines on waterbirds and birds of prey rather than birds in the countryside.

He added: "Much terrestrial research into the effects of wind turbines on birds has focused on geese, waders and raptors, whose populations are highest in upland and coastal areas.

"There is increasing conservation concern about the impact of wind farms on these species in these areas, so applications to build new turbines are increasingly focusing on other sites, especially lowland farmland in central and eastern England."