As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Wednesday 9 March 2016

Controversy as RSPB builds 100m wind turbine despite deadly threat to birds

Critics say energy-saving technology is a threat to rare species already suffering from low numbers

By Tom Morgan, and agency12:01AM GMT 29 Feb 2016

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has completed construction of a 100 metre wind turbine at its headquarters despite warnings they are a deadly danger to some birds and bats.

The turbine will save an estimated 800 tonnes of carbon emissions a year as it generates the equivalent of half the electricity the RSPB uses across its 127 sites.

Critics of the technology warn turbines pose a threat to birds, particularly rare species which are already suffering from low numbers or migratory species, as well as to bats.

The Scottish Gamekeepers' Association (SGA) has previously claimed wind turbines are killing killed more birds of prey than deliberate poisoning or shooting.

But RSPB's turbine got the go-ahead as an article in the journal Nature claimed they killed far fewer birds than than other human causes such as buildings, cars, power lines, pesticides and pet cats.



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