Onshore wind farms remain one of the most widely used technologies for the production of renewable energy.
These are known to affect birds through disturbance or collision. Most research focus on the impact of wind
farms on raptors or other large bird species, especially those of conservation concern. However, limited information
exists on the effect of wind farms on small birds. Recovery of large versus small bird populations impacted by
wind farms is also largely unstudied. A reason for this is the lack of long-termdatasets based on standardized, systematic
assessments. We monitored birds in the vicinity of a wind farm in an upland habitat in southern Spain
(Malaga province), immediately after installation and 6.5 years post-construction. During both study periods,
we observed 11 raptor and 38 non-raptor species (including 30 passerines). We found differences in recovery
rates between raptors and non-raptors. Raptors showed an upturn in numbers but non-raptor abundance fell
significantly.
Greater attention should be paid to the recovery of wildlife after initial impact assessments than at present. This
study confirms that regulatory authorities and developers should consider the likely impacts of wind farms on
small bird populations. Mitigation measures focused particularly on non-raptor species should be considered
and implemented as a means to reduce these negative effects.
