Are wind turbines a significant cause of mortality for birds of prey?
A red kite found dead on a wind farm in the north of Scotland was confirmed to have died as a result of a collision with a wind turbine. The bird was discovered early in June but it was not until 24 June 2010, following toxicology tests and an examination of the carcass, that it was established that its injuries, notably fractures and bruising, were consistent with a collision. Red Kites in Scotland Red kites are a rare and protected species in the United Kingdom, having been reintroduced during the 1990s after becoming extinct in the early twentieth century as a result of human persecution. Perceived as a threat to livestock on farms and to game birds on sporting estates, they were hunted to extinction in England and Scotland, although a few pairs survived in Wales. The first location for the reintroduction was the Black Isle, in the north-east of Scotland. It was a bird from this area which was killed in the collision with a turbine at Fairburn wind farm, near Dingwall. The wind farm
