Abstract
American Bird Conservancy (ABC) has identified 10 of the worst-sited wind energy projects for birds in the United States, both existing and proposed, with the intention of educating the public and key decisionmakers about bird impacts from wind development. Many individuals and organizations have embraced wind energy without addressing the difficult questions about its potential impact on our nation’s wildlife. As a result, many wind development projects are causing significant bird mortality—at a scale that is now becoming a major source of concern for bird conservationists. Hundreds of thousands of protected birds, including some Endangered species, are already being killed annually in collisions with wind turbines and associated power lines. The number of turbines is set to grow significantly as wind industry build-out continues across the landscape, likely causing a major increase in this already serious problem. Some prosecutions have already taken place due to these mortality events, because the killing of migratory birds without a permit is a violation of federal law. Unfortunately, no permit system currently exists to address such migratory bird deaths—yet such a system could safeguard birds and industry as wind development expands.