The use of wind energy is becoming more widespread as the world moves away from the use of fossil fuels. Unlike the dwindling supply of petroleum and other fossil fuels, wind energy is non-polluting and renewable.

However, wind energy is not without its drawbacks. Wind turbines disrupt the behavior of wildlife and kill thousands of bats and birds each year. The rate of bird collisions for a single turbine can be as high as 30 collisions per year. Although passerines comprise an estimated 80% of all collisions, the effects of turbines are much greater on the slower reproducing, long-lived raptor species.

Does the bird-collision problem mean we should stop wind energy? In my opinion, it does not. While the death of a single bird (or bat) is regrettable, we must look at the larger picture. The primary alternatives to clean, renewable energy such as wind energy are fossil fuels, which are more expensive, increasingly less available, and more harmful to biodiversity.

Collisions with vehicles, power lines, and predation from domestic cats represent far greater threats to passerines than collisions from wind turbines. It is estimated that domestic cats alone kill 90 million birds per year in the United States alone! Moreover, scientists are currently investigating ways to greatly minimize the number of wind turbine collisions, such as avoiding major bird migration routes, installing slower-moving turbines, and shutting down turbines during certain times of the year. Avian conservation groups, such as New York Audubon., support the further development of wind energy as well as increased research efforts into methods to reduce collisions.

Photo © William C. Webb