For the Birds

Painted Bunting. Courtesy John Heino

A number of years back I recall reading about a North Dakota wind turbine firm that was fined a million dollars because their wind turbine killed a predator bird of some kind that was an endangered species. I've forgotten the details now, but do recall the size of the fine.

That story came mind this morning as I read another story about how hazardous wind turbines are to birds. This prompted me to dig a little deeper into hard numbers, and here is what found. Instead of focusing on win turbines I looked at skyscrapers, windows and other human actions that kill birds. 

Actual numbers vary widely depending on the source, but here's a general summary based on the best available research.

Bird deaths from building and window collisions

It is estimated that between 365 million and 1 billion birds are killed annually by birds crashing into windows. Most deaths occur from collisions with residential and low-rise buildings, not skyscrapers. This happens because birds often cannot perceive glass as a barrier, especially when it reflects sky, trees or other vegetation.

Bird deaths from wind turbines
The estimated annual deaths from wind trbines in the U.S. is around 140,000 to 500,000 birds. In other words, wind turbines account for a much smaller fraction of total human-related bird mortality compared to buildings, cats, and vehicles.

Bird deaths from cats and cars

For comparison, outdoor cats kill an estimated 2.4 billion birds annually in the U.S. We have one cat and it's true, cats are quite skilled at reducing the bird population. As much as we love birds, we do not have a bird feeder outside our window for that very reason.

And then you have cars and trucks, which kill about 89–340 million each year. Cars are more aerodynamically designed now, but I remember how when we drove home from Grandma's house in the Fifties, my dad frequently pulled a dead sparrow from the grill of the car. It was a grim business. Back then cars had those wide, flat grills to provide airflow and keep the engine cooler. 

Bottom Line

Wind turbines do kill birds, but windows and other human-related factors like habitat loss and predation by domestic cats are far greater threats to bird populations.  

Local Art Seen: Sharon Louden's Windows

Thursday, October 22, the Tweed Museum hosted its opening reception for two totally disparate shows, Robert Miniciello's Spontaneous Acts and Sharon Louden's Windows. Louden, who has participated in group exhibitions since 1985 and has been featured in solo exhibitions since 1997, is known internationally for her drawings, paintings, prints and installations.

The current exhibit assembled sculpture and paintings, plus two performances of music with a small ensemble and theater lighting. The Star-Trekkish musical component was composed by Washington D.C.-based pianist and organist Andrew Simpson, who is the classical composer who produced this special score that was performed live by UMD students. By means of Arden Weaver's lighting, a measure of drama was added to the two performances.

The installation itself has that space age feel, with rolls of reflective mylar-like material draped all about the Sax Gallery as if a futuristic tapestry. The mirror-like sheets of aluminum had been draped from the ceiling, over the banisters and fastened to walls. The effect on the sensations was such that a visitor might fail to notice that there are a number of small paintings adorning the walls in various locations.

The paintings themselves were small in contrast to the expansive installation, and unremarkable -- shapes of color on white backgrounds. The use of primary colors as such gave reminders of Joan Miro at a certain phase, or Mondrian's later period.

Louden's Windows installation will be on display through May 26. If you're near the campus, take a little time to check it out.