Whooping Cranes Threatened by Wind Farms

One such species, according to Butcher, is the prairie chicken, which will not nest near tall structures such as wind turbines.

One subspecies of the prairie chicken, the heath hen, is already extinct; another, Attwater's prairie chicken, is endangered.

Laurie Jodziewicz, a spokeswoman for the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), said the renewable energy industry was aware of the threat to bird species of wind development, and has engaged environmental groups, government agencies and academics in talks to seek ways to expand production without harming wildlife.

"We have an ongoing research program that focuses on prairie chickens but we are also looking at other grassland bird species to understand the different kinds of impact that development might have," Jodziewicz said.

"But it's important to remember that wind development is not the only thing that is causing habitat loss," she said.

"Wind development probably pales into insignificance compared to oil and gas, and town development."

Stehn aired concern about how wind development will result in "more and more powerlines" and urged that they be well marked to minimize the number of birds that collide with them and die.

Wind energy provided electricity to one percent of U.S. homes last year and is projected to grow by 25 percent annually, with most of the expansion planned for the breezy corridor that stretches from Texas to Canada, according to the AWEA.

"They have to tap into the best wind resources," said Stehn.

"They can't take areas where the wind isn't going to blow every day -- it's not economically feasible."

Related Links:

Larry O'Hanlon's blog: Earth Impacts

American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)

USGS: Whooping Cranes