Bird-Friendly Turbines

Birds colliding with turbine blades is one of the main negative effects of onshore wind farms.

A nine-year study at Norway’s Smøla wind farm has found that bird strikes can be cut by up to 70 percent simply by painting one blade of a wind turbine black.

Scientists believe this reduces what they call “motion smear”, allowing birds to see the three rotating blades. Trondheim-based researcher Dr Roel May says further tests at other wind farms are needed to confirm the findings.