Are wind turbines a threat to seabird populations? A new radar study shows otherwise.
It has been found that offshore wind farms have little to no impact on seabird populations, providing a positive outlook for the renewable energy industry.
A two-year study on the interactions of several seabird species at an offshore wind farm — consisting of 11 offshore turbines near Aberdeen, Scotland — found that not a single case of birdstrike was recorded over the study period or in the 10,000 videos taken.
Looking at herring gulls, gannets, kittiwakes, and great black-backed gulls, Swedish state wind company Vattenfall found that most of the birds maintained a 50 to 230-yard distance between themselves and the radius of the spinning turbines.
It says that there were no collisions between seabirds and wind turbines, even though the birds frequently flew through the wind farm. The radar also revealed that the birds altered their flight paths to avoid the turbines, indicating that they were able to detect and avoid potential collisions.
The findings have been welcomed by environmentalists and renewable energy advocates, who have long argued that offshore wind farms are a safe and sustainable way to generate electricity. It also provides valuable data that can be used to inform future wind farm developments, and to ensure that they are designed in a way that minimizes their impact on wildlife.
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