SAWEA-BLSA-BARESG Blade Patterning Briefing Note Release
September 29, 2023
SAWEA AND BIRDLIFE SOUTH AFRICA RELEASE NEW RESOURCE TO ENCOURAGE WIND FARMS TO TRIAL BLADE PATTERNING AS A MEANS TO CONSERVE BIRDS
The vision of birds, particularly those that hunt from the air, such as birds of prey, has not evolved to perceive large, moving structures in their environment, such as wind turbines. This is largely due to birds’ physiological limitations, such as low colour contrast detection abilities, combined with motion smear created by moving, un-patterned turbine blades. This makes these species vulnerable to blade collisions, which is particularly concerning for threatened species.
