Birds Killed Over Solar Panel Fields

Fish and wildlife service.

Birds killed over solar panel fields.

Birds can be killed when they smash into the facility s solar panels the investigation concluded. This is called a lake effect birds have been found dead wounded or stranded at several solar projects in the desert. But there s hardly any science examining how many birds deaths are caused solar. The link between solar facilities and bird deaths is still unclear.

Bird scientist shawn smallwood testified that one large solar farm alone the ivanpah solar panel project in california likely kills 28 380 birds annually. Yes birds have died at solar photovoltaic projects some of them from crashing into panels or other infrastructure. Meanwhile we ve built more wind turbines. Another problem with large solar farms is that birds sometimes mistake the glossy blue expanse of solar panels for bodies of water and try to land on them.

Meanwhile as many as 28 000 birds are killed each year that s one every two minutes by the ivanpah solar plant in the mojave desert according to the u s. One leading theory suggests birds mistake the glare from solar panels for the surface of a lake and swoop in for a landing with. Federal biologists say about 6 000 birds die from collisions or immolation annually while chasing flying insects around the facility s three 40 story towers which catch sunlight from five square. A rare and unusual type of solar power plant that concentrates sunlight in california is accidentally killing up to 6 000 birds every year with staff reporting that the birds keep flying into its concentrated beams of sunlight and spontaneously bursting into flames.

According to the audubon society these birds deaths are related to large solar photovoltaic installations in the desert which to waterfowl can appear to look like bodies of water due to the reflectivity of the panels.