Abstract
In recent years, the rapid growth of the wind power industry has increasingly drawn attention to its negative effects on bird species. Although some studies have assessed the impact of wind turbines (WTs) on birds at local scales, comprehensive analyses at the national level remain scarce, hindering the ability to identify broader, systematic effects. This study focuses on China, using county-level administrative units as the research units to examine the impact of WTs on bird species richness. Specifically, we first conducted a comparative analysis of bird species richness between counties with and without WTs. Then, based on the potential distribution patterns of 1024 bird species, we calculated the intensity of WT impacts on bird distribution at the county level. Finally, we employed generalized additive models to further characterize the patterns of species richness change in response to increasing WT impact intensity. The results revealed that the richness of all bird, resident and migratory species, was significantly lower in counties hosting WTs compared to non-WT counties, and species richness began to decline rapidly once the intensity of WT impacts exceeded 0.2. This study enhances our understanding of the ecological and environmental consequences of wind power development and provides scientific evidence for future wind farm site selection and policy formulation, with the aim of balancing renewable energy development and biodiversity conservation.