Birds and Renewable Energy Project

What We Do & Why We Do It

We believe South Africa can achieve its renewable energy goals without compromising its unique biodiversity. South Africa is undergoing massive expansion of renewable energy. Without careful planning, this critical energy transition could cause significant habitat loss and degradation, and cause bird populations to decline. Over the past decade, the Birds and Renewable Energy project has promoted nature-smart renewable energy in South Africa. We develop guidelines that support evidence-based decisions and mainstream best practice across the industry. We facilitate collaboration between developers, government and conservationists, and provide expert advice on where wind facilities should be built and how they should be managed to reduce negative impacts. Our work has directly influenced project designs, prevented developments in critically sensitive areas, and strengthened environmental safeguards at wind energy facilities. Through multi-stakeholder platforms and capacity building, we’ve created a community of specialists equipped to navigate the complex interaction between renewable energy and conservation and who share our vision of a future that accommodates both.

How we do it

“Guidelines and Best Practice: We develop and maintain South Africa’s best practice guidelines for wind energy and birds, setting the benchmark for environmental assessments, monitoring and mitigation across the industry. We also produce species-specific guidelines and mitigation guidance (such as shutdown-on-demand and blade patterning) that enable targeted protection for threatened species. *** ADD LINK to page with guidelines*** https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SDOD-Handbook-BirdLIfe-SA-24.-June-2025.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/SAWEA-BLSA-Blade-Patterning-Guidelines-2024.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Birds-and-Wind-BestPractice-guidelines_2015_final-2.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Black-Harriers-Wind-Energy-Final-1.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Cape-Vulture-Guidelines-1.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Verreauxs-Eagle-and-Wind-Energy-2021-2nd-edition.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/201810_SABAABatThresholdDocument_edition-2_Final.pdf https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Minimising-the-impacts-of-infrastructure-development-on-Secretarybirds-Sagittarius-serpentarius.pdf Data and Learning: We maintain South Africa’s most comprehensive database of wind facility fatalities and publish analyses of cumulative impacts and lessons learnt, ensuring the industry continuously improves how impacts are managed. For example: https://www.birdlife.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Summary-of-Bird-Monitoring-Reports-Final-Version.pdf Expert Review and Influence: We provide input on strategic environmental plans, environmental impact assessments and monitoring reports, influencing project location and design whilst negotiating stronger safeguards for biodiversity. Collaboration: We bring together industry, consultants, specialists and government to share knowledge and solve problems collectively through our multi-stakeholder platforms.”

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Further Project Information

Why Are Birds at Risk from Renewable Energy?

Birds collide with wind turbine blades, particularly large soaring species like vultures and eagles that use the same wind currents as turbines. Annual fatality rates for some threatened species are already unsustainable, creating significant extinction risk. Beyond collision mortality, cumulative impacts from habitat loss and disturbance compound these risks. With South Africa planning 43 GW of wind generation by 2042, the scale of potential impact is unprecedented. Without proper planning and mitigation, renewable energy expansion could devastate populations of species already under pressure from other threats.
Which Species Are Most at Risk?

Collision mortality affects a wide range of species, but losses of long-lived threatened birds species is the greatest concern. Priority species include Cape Vulture, Black Harrier, Verreaux’s Eagle, Martial Eagle and Secretarybird. High-altitude grasslands harbour endemic larks such as Botha’s Lark (Critically Endangered) and Rudd’s Lark (Endangered) which also face risks. Our species-specific guidelines provide tailored monitoring and mitigation recommendations to protect these vulnerable populations whilst enabling responsible renewable energy development.