Study: Wind farms drive away prairie birds in the Dakotas

Not only do wind farms slice and dice some birds--others just don't like nesting near them.

Where are the protests by the environmentalists?

From the Grand Forks Herald:

Seven of nine grassland bird species were displaced from breeding habitat on mixed-grass prairies after wind turbines were built at sites in North Dakota and South Dakota, a study found.

The U.S. Geological Survey report, recently published in the journal Conservation Biology, found that susceptible bird species avoided turbine locations for years after construction, including species in "serious decline."

Bird species that avoided wind farms included the western meadowlark, the North Dakota state bird, which has been in decline in the state. The meadowlark moved 300 to 1,000 meters from the turbines, or more than 984 to 3,280 feet.

Other species included the bobolink, which also moved 300 to 1,000 meters, and grasshopper sparrow, which moved 300 meters, or 984 feet.