Wind power is increasing all over the world. In the United States alone, in 2020 windmill blades generated about 8% of the nation’s electricity, more than 80 times the proportion of electricity generated by wind in 2000, according to the US Energy Information Administration. USA. But while the growth is a positive step toward curbing climate change, it could also be bad news for birds.
It is estimated that between 140,000 and 500,000 birds are killed each year due to collisions with windmills . These deaths could rise to more than a million a year if wind power continues to expand. To avoid them, some scientists advocate the use of citizen science and bird migration data when deciding where to build wind farms . The wind energy industry could use such information to get a more complete picture of the problem and minimize harm to birds and other wildlife.
endangered bird species
Citizen science is already showing that it can fill vital information gaps. Between 2007 and 2018, more than 180,000 birders reported bald eagles in the eBird database, a website specializing in ornithology. Using this treasure of data, many administrations have gone to work to try to avoid accidents in which birds violently collide with the blades of windmills. Unlike traditional data, which covers very limited time periods or locations, data obtained through citizen collaboration covers a much broader territory and throughout the year, making it much easier and more effective to take action.
Serious harm to animals
Windmill blades can also indirectly harm animals by disturbing their habitats . For example, whooping cranes are one of the large bird species that travel the most kilometers each year on their migrations, and they are also in danger of extinction. The construction of wind farms alters their routes, aerial paths that have been traveling for thousands of years.
To get a better idea of how wind power infrastructure affects species like whooping cranes, the researchers analyzed GPS location data from 57 individuals tracked from 2010 to 2016. Well, cranes avoided resting at sites throughout the route that were near wind turbines. Birds are less likely to stop at a site if there is an aeolian structure.
The continued loss of habitat could lead to a decline in the population of these birds, and is one of the reasons why whooping cranes are currently in danger of extinction. Like data obtained through citizen collaboration, migration tracking data provides a much clearer picture of bird activity throughout the year.
REFERENCES:
Journal of Applied Ecology / US Energy Information Administration
