Birds and Wind Energy

A Memorandum of Understanding exists between the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and BirdLife South Africa for collaborative work in birds and wind energy. Several meetings have taken place and a workshop on birds and wind energy was held in Cape Town on 26 August 2010. The workshop was convened by Dr Rowena Langston (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, UK).

Two important outcomes of the workshop are:

• A wind sensitivity map for South Africa
• Guidelines for environmental practitioners

BirdLife South Africa media release (11 July 2011) Guidelines for bird monitoring at wind farms

EWT and BirdLife South Africa Position Statements

EWT and BirdLife South Africa Position Statement on wind farms and birds

EWT and BirdLife South Africa Position Statement on Avifaunal and Bat Impact Assessment for Wind Energy Facilities in South Africa

Birds and Wind Energy Specialist Group (BAWESG) Best Practice Bird Monitoring Guidelines for southern Africa

Other useful documentation

South African Good Practice Guidelines for Surveying Bats in Wind Farm developments

Dr Samantha Stoffberg can be contacted regarding any queries on Bats and Wind Farms on email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Wind farm and birds workshop held on 26 August 2010

Useful links

• World Wind energy report
• Australian Wind Farms guidance document
• England guidance on bird and wind energy

Background documents

• Proposed Wind Farms
• EWT Background to interactions between wind energy facilities
• Cumulative impact on birds
• Birds and wind farms resources
• Final MS Bright et al 2008 Biol Cons sensitivity map
• EWT Best practice for assessing the impacts of onshore wind farms
• RSPB Bird Sensitivity Map 2006

BirdLife South Africa supports the use of renewable energy resources, including solar energy generation, in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Statement on the effect of solar power facilities on birds

For more information, please contact:

• This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), +27(0)11 486 1102
• This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , BirdLife South Africa, Tel. +27(0)11 789 1122
• This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , BirdLife South Africa, Tel. +27(0)11 789 1122

Wind farm literature

• Birds and Wind Farm resources
• Out of Site (Science_13 August 2010)
• Impacts of onshore wind farms on birds (EWT Briefing Document)
• Cumulative impact on birds

Relevant links

• http://www.westerncapebirding.co.za