Sheril KirshenbaumJul 23, 2023

In the U.S., recent annual estimates of bird deaths due to:

Cats = 2.4 billion bird deaths

Collisions from building glass = 600 million bird deaths

Land wind turbines = <200,000 bird deaths

Some politicians claim wind turbines “kill all the birds.”

But… they’re not really worried about birds. Rather, they prefer we stick with oil & gas over renewable #energy.

https://www.statista.com/chart/amp/15195/wind-turbines-are-not-killing-fields-for-birds/ #climatechange

Infographic: What Is Killing U.S. Birds?

This chart shows the estimated range of annual human-caused bird deaths in the U.S., by source.

Statista Daily Data
Erik HarrisJul 23, 2023
Show threadSheril Kirshenbaum

Popping on the visualization (also linked above) bc there were a few questions about the data.

This chart displays the US Fish & Wildlife estimates of annual bird mortality in the U.S. from several human causes. /2

Jul 23, 2023 at 3:28pmMetatext
Show threadSheril KirshenbaumJul 23, 2023

It shouldn’t need to be said, but given some comments, let me be clear: This is not a post about harming cats.

The point is that special interests have been framing the narrative around renewables in ways that aren’t evidence based to influence public opinion away from supporting wind turbines & other technologies.

But we need to decrease our dependence on fossil fuels to address #ClimateChange. /3

Show threadMichael GemarJul 23, 2023
@Sheril (But one should also keep one’s cats indoors, both for bird health and their own.)
Show threadludiusvoxJul 23, 2023
@Sheril what about nuclear and geothermal?
Show threadTim BeauchampJul 24, 2023
@ludiusvox @Sheril
I haven't seen the data, but I would guess the number for annual bird mortality in the U.S. due to nuclear and geothermal is pretty small. :)
Show threadEdgarg2708Jul 24, 2023
@Sheril
Saludos desde Venezuela, Norte de Sudamérica!
Quisiera disfrutar de los paisajes de tú hermoso País!
Será posible?
Show threadNazaniJul 25, 2023
@Sheril
I adore cats & have 4, but I don't think we can avoid a discussion about all the meat they require. And I go through so many aluminum cans I feel like an Alcoa subsidiary. Spay/neuter!
Show threadSvend WaldorffJul 23, 2023
@Sheril while agreeing with the basic premise (wind turbines kill a suprisinglow number of birds) I do wonder if we are ignoring the "quality" when we just look at the quantity. I would imagine that cats mainly catch small, very common birds (sparrows, etc) while the wind turbines may kill a larger proportion of the bigger and more endagered species (birds of prey and the like).
Would be nice if there are numbers to back me up or prove me wrong.
Show threadNonya Bidniss 🥥🌴Jul 23, 2023
@swaldorff @Sheril An interesting question
Show threadSvend WaldorffJul 23, 2023
@Nonya_Bidniss @Sheril
Some interesting solution proposals:
Make the rubines more visible to birds:
https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/03/01/stripy-wind-turbines-could-reduce-seabird-fatalities-say-avian-vision-experts
Or swiutch them off when a (big, valuable) bird approaches (either detecting the transponder endagered specias carry or using a radar+AI system)
https://www.audubon.org/magazine/spring-2018/how-new-technology-making-wind-farms-safer-birds
Could stripy wind turbines help to save birds from their blades?

We need to see like birds in order to protect them, say the ornithologists suggesting a ‘simple’ redesign.

euronews
Show threadMarcJul 23, 2023
@swaldorff @Nonya_Bidniss @Sheril Or you could add #AI to wind turbines, and if that causes a problem, find a tech solution to control the AI which controls bird deaths. https://www.identiflight.com/how-it-works-2
How It Works — IdentiFlight - Bird Detection System

IdentiFlight’s bird detection technology combines high performance camera optics with the latest in machine vision and artificial intelligence software. Our system provides species classification allowing Wind farm operators to decide in real time whether or not to target curtailment, aiding in the

IdentiFlight - Bird Detection System
Show threadPJT NorthJul 23, 2023

@Sheril

Have only inside cats….

Show threadGatekeeper..Jul 23, 2023

@Sheril

@[email protected]

Show threadDarrin WestJul 23, 2023
@Sheril This would be more readable if shown in millions. 2,400 vs 0.23 instead of uncountable zeros.
Show threadAmonTheMetalHeadJul 23, 2023
@Sheril Now add pesticides & loss of habitat
Show threadM EiloJul 23, 2023

@Sheril So frustrating that a meta analysis from a decade ago that was mostly guess work and approximation is still being sited as an accurate rate of cat caused bird deaths. They even state in the appendix that while most bird deaths are attributed to feral cats "no empirically driven estimate of un-owned cat abundance exists for the contiguous U.S."

Here is a break down of why the data is essentially intentional misinformation from the NIH

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9794845/

Outdoor domestic cats and wildlife: How to overrate and misinterpret field data

PubMed Central (PMC)
Show threadPierricJul 23, 2023
@BlinkPopShift @Sheril thanks for sharing, this is interesting and relevant.
I'd just add that the original argument that wind turbines are not the worst, most evil bird killer ever, probably still holds given the orders of magnitude.
Also the review states that pressure from cats is not a problem if populations remain sustainable, which is valid in theory; but we know that bird populations are in fact dropping fast in most places, so any pressure that can be avoided ideally should be.
Show threadludiusvoxJul 23, 2023
@Sheril yes bit wind turbines is killing big birds such as eagles and condors, a cat cannot harm an eagle. Eagles are really common up north where solar power doesn't work and they want to use huge wind turbines that are ugly.
Show threadDial Tone, Busy Signal *biiip*Jul 23, 2023
@ludiusvox @Sheril this person has an agenda
Show threadludiusvoxJul 23, 2023

@simSalabim @Sheril

Oh I been protesting this in outer-banks right next to the wildlife sanctuary in North Carolina, the election swing a win or loss by 10,000 votes and they approve these horrible projects with slim margins.

Show threadNumber6 Jul 23, 2023

@Sheril Humans have removed most predators from our landscapes allowing small birds to flourish in a way they would not naturally be able. Despite the cat predation, we don't see any small birds in danger of extinction.

Cats pose no danger for condors, and condors are unlikely to be flying into glass buildings. So we would want to know what kind of birds are flying into the wind turbines. If condors ... that's a problem. If seagulls ... not so much.

Show threadOggieJul 23, 2023

@Sheril
The thing is (and I'm not going to even attempt to engage with the numbers as a lot of replies are, since I don't have the backing), it's never been about the 'reality', just the perception.

Saying 'This kills birds', they're hoping for a visceral emotional reaction, like when it was discovered that 'cute baby seal in oil' got a stronger reaction than 'billions of animals dead'.

Of course, I -personally- hate birds viscerally, but I support keeping them alive. Away from me.