savetheeaglesinternational.org.za

The “green” wind energy facility ‘West Coast One’ on the West Coast is expected to kill roughly 500 birds overall per year, including 12 killings of priority species, comprising nine Blue Cranes, two Lanner Falcons and one Black Harrier per annum, according to the pre-construction bird study that was recently finalized for the site.

Just 4 km South East of the ‘West Coast One’ WEF  (90.8MW ) another much bigger wind development, Nooitgedacht (271MW*)  will soon be constructed. Would this cause the bird mortality rates even to quadruple?

The area includes a bird flyway and birds monitored in the area are:

• Flocks of overflying wetland and coastal birds, numbering from 10s to 10 000s of birds. Species of particular concern are Cape Cormorant, Greater Flamingo, Lesser Flamingo and Great White Pelican. These are all collision prone and possibly displacement prone species.
• Non-breeding and breeding pairs of Blue Cranes. This is a threatened, endemic species, highly susceptible to collision mortality on power lines, probably susceptible to turbine collision mortality, and possibly susceptible to disturbance and displacement by the operating wind farm.
• Resident and breeding and/or visiting raptors, in particular Black Harrier and a variety of other species including Lanner Falcon.