Effect of turbines on birds probed

16 February 2009 03:01pm

Researchers are to carry out the world's first study of the effects of domestic wind turbines on birds and bats, it has been announced.

A University of Stirling team will investigate whether the environmental benefits of renewable wind energy will come at a cost to Britain's wildlife.

The study follows anecdotal reports of birds and bats being killed after crashing into "micro-turbines" - small turbines usually mounted on houses and business premises or in gardens and fields.

Dr Kirsty Park, a lecturer in ecology and conservation biology in the university, said little is known about the impact of these turbines on bird and bat numbers.

She said: "There have been anecdotal reports of bird and bat fatalities resulting from collisions with micro-turbines but we don't know whether these pose a threat to wildlife populations or if they are just isolated events.

"To date there have been no studies anywhere in the world to assess the importance of collisions - or any other risks that micro-turbines may pose - to bird or bat populations."

The researchers have been given a grant from the Leverhulme Trust for the two-year study.

They will examine the number of animals being killed by micro-turbines.

The team will also look at the impact these turbines may have on flight patterns, as well as any effects on nesting birds and roosting bats.

Species which may be affected include those that eat insects in the air, such as swifts and house martins, and those that nest in buildings, such as house sparrows and starlings.

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