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Keep birds safe

The world can develop renewable energy infrastructure at scale and at pace, but location matters so that we can keep birds like Bustards safe.

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Did you know that an estimated 16% of Great Indian Bustards (Critically Endangered) fatally hit high-voltage lines each year.

It’s not just Great Indian Bustards, every year hundreds of thousands of birds and bats collide with wind turbines and powerlines, while countless others are electrocuted or displaced by poorly planned infrastructure.

We are working to change that.

We are world leaders in making sure renewable energy and conservation go hand in hand. Using our worldwide bird data, we’ve created a mapping tool known as AVISTEP that helps wind and solar energy developers find nature-safe locations away from flight paths and nesting sites.

That’s not all, we also coordinate the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Energy Task Force, which works towards harmonising renewable energy development with the conservation of bird species.

It is in this Energy Task Force, where over 40 stakeholders such as governments, investors, scientists, the private sector, and civil society from around the world are able to engage as a group to discuss, develop and create best practice policy and technical guidelines.

Your support is key to unlocking progress towards a sustainable future for both our climate and our birds. When you donate, you’re investing in the wellbeing and survival of birds – and all life – globally.

“The best and cheapest way to ensure that wind turbines do not have an adverse impact on birds is to site them away from vulnerable species and major migration routes. BirdLife has led the way in developing spatial tools such as bird sensitivity maps that help identify areas to be avoided.” – Tris Allinson, Senior Global Science Officer at BirdLife and member of the Task Force

Donate today

£ 5
could help raise awareness about the importance of nature-safe renewable energy planning
£ 30
could help strengthen our engagement with key stakeholders like governments, investors, scientists, the private sector and civil society
£ 100
could develop guidelines for bird-safe energy infrastructure
£ 250+
could help further support the development of our web-based tool, AVISTEP, that can identify where renewable energy could impact birds and should therefore be avoided
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What are types of renewable energy infrastructure?

The infrastructure needed for renewable energy includes things like wind turbines and solar panels which capture natural sources like the sun and wind. It also involves powerlines to carry the electricity from where it originated to where it’s needed. While there are renewable energy infrastructure projects that are carefully designed to minimise environmental impact and maximise efficiency, there are cases where projects are rushed, poorly planned and executed badly. It doesn’t have to be this way and support like yours means we can continue working to provide the solutions.

What is AVISTEP?

BirdLife International has developed AVISTEP – the Avian Sensitivity Tool for Energy Planning to identify where renewable energy infrastructure could negatively impact birds and biodiversity, and should therefore be avoided. With this information, renewable energy development can be targeted towards low-risk areas, thereby mainstreaming biodiversity concerns across the sector and ensuring that we meet renewable energy targets without worsening the biodiversity crisis.

Bustards

Bustards are a highly threatened family of birds. They are relatively fast, heavy fliers that have trouble seeing straight ahead, making them particularly susceptible to accidents at powerlines. These infrastructures can also displace them from immediately adjacent habitat and act as barriers, that split up their living areas.