BirdLife South Africa has sounded the alarm over the growing threat wind energy infrastructure poses to birdlife, calling for urgent measures to reduce the impact on vulnerable species.
A new report, based on bird monitoring at 33 wind farms across three provinces from 2015 to 2024, reveals that 202 bird species have been recorded as fatalities—over 10% of them species of conservation concern. Among them are iconic and threatened birds such as the Cape Vulture, Black Harrier, Martial Eagle, Secretarybird, and Verreaux’s Eagle.
Feature image of a Black Harrier in the vicinity of a wind farm by Julia Simmons
Stronger safeguards
While BirdLife supports the transition to renewable energy, it warns that South Africa’s wind energy rollout must be matched by stronger environmental safeguards. The report highlights an average of 4.25 bird deaths per turbine each year and points to concerning gaps between predicted and actual impacts at some sites.
“These discrepancies show that our environmental assessments need to be better informed by data,” says Birds and Renewable Energy Project Manager Sam Ralston-Paton. “Too often, mitigation measures, such as shut down on demand and livestock carcass management, aren’t properly implemented or monitored.”
The report calls for stricter Environmental Management Programmes, clear accountability, and more audits of operational phase mitigation. It also stresses the need for adaptive management—adjusting mitigation as conditions change or new data emerges.
Cases of delayed or ignored mitigation during operations are flagged, with BirdLife urging authorities to enforce compliance and issue penalties when needed. Practical steps, like ensuring landowner cooperation and budgeting for ongoing monitoring, are also recommended.
The report notes discrepancies between predicted and observed impacts and recommends ways to strengthen environmental impact assessments (EIAs).
“EIAs provide only a snapshot of conditions,” says Birds and Renewable Energy Project Leader John Gibbs, “whereas dynamic environmental factors, the shifting conservation status of species and an evolving evidence base can alter the risk landscape over time.”
As South Africa races to meet renewable energy targets, BirdLife’s message is clear: clean power should not come at the cost of biodiversity.
Report’s key findings
- In the period 2015-2024, a staggering 202 bird species have been recorded as fatalities at 33 wind energy facilities (WEFs) located in three provinces South Africa.
- Data indicated that the average estimated avifaunal mortality rate was some 4.25 birds per turbine per year.
- Over 10% of carcasses found at wind energy facilities were species of conservation concern including threatened species such as the Cape Vulture, Black Harrier, Martial Eagle, Secretarybird, and Verreaux’s Eagle which already face potentially unsustainable fatality rates.
