Freedom of Information Request - Deaths of Birds of Prey in Scotland from windfarms
Date: 18 December 2024
Our ref: SIR178089/A4868054
Information Request – Deaths of Birds of Prey in Scotland from windfarms
Your Request
(1) Across the last 10 years how many deaths of Birds of Prey in Scotland are you aware of that have, or may have, been caused by wind turbines?
(2) In the answer to (1) could you specify:
a. What years these took place
b. What parts of Scotland these took place in
c. What species of Birds this involved
Our Response
The information that we hold is set out in the table below.
Table 1 - birds of prey mortality by species and year/location of collisions
Species | Year of collision | Location of collision |
Osprey | 2014 | Aberdeenshire |
Hen harrier | 2014 | Argyll & Bute |
Golden eagle | 2015 | Highland |
Kestrel | 2016 | South Lanarkshire |
Buzzard | 2016 | South Ayrshire |
Kestrel | 2016 | Fife |
Osprey | 2016 | Argyll & Bute |
Osprey | 2016 | Highland |
White-tailed eagle | 2016 | Highland |
Hen harrier | 2016 | Perth & Kinross |
Peregrine | 2017 | Scottish Borders |
Osprey | 2017 | Striling |
Kestrel | 2017 | Perth & Kinross |
Goshawk | 2018 | Dumfries & Galloway |
Golden eagle | 2018 | Eilean Siar |
Buzzard | 2018 | South Ayrshire |
Buzzard | 2018 | Argyll & Bute |
White-tailed eagle | 2019 | Highland |
Osprey | 2019 | Highland |
Osprey | 2019 | Highland |
Red Kite | 2019 | Highland |
Buzzard | 2019 | South Lanarkshire |
Sparrowhawk | 2019 | Moray |
Osprey | 2019 | Moray |
Osprey | 2019 | Highland |
Barn owl | 2019 | Highland |
Osprey | 2019 | Orkney Islands |
Golden eagle | 2020 | Highland |
Hen harrier | 2020 | Perth & Kinross |
Peregrine | 2020 | Highland |
Buzzard | 2020 | No location provided |
Kestrel | 2020 | No location provided |
White-tailed eagle | 2020 | Argyll & Bute |
Buzzard | 2020 | South Lanarkshire |
Buzzard | 2020 | South Lanarkshire |
Hen harrier | 2020 | Perth & Kinross |
White-tailed eagle | 2020 | Eilean Siar |
Merlin | 2020 | Highland |
Osprey | 2020 | Moray |
Osprey | 2021 | Highland |
White-tailed eagle | 2021 | Highland |
Kestrel | 2021 | Scottish Borders |
Golden eagle | 2021 | Moray |
White-tailed eagle | 2022 | Highland |
Sparrowhawk | 2022 | Highland |
Buzzard | 2022 | West Lothian |
Buzzard | 2022 | Scottish Borders |
Golden eagle | 2022 | Highland |
Osprey | 2022 | Argyll & Bute |
White-tailed eagle | 2022 | Highand |
White-tailed eagle | 2022 | Highand |
Red kite | 2023 | Highand |
Osprey | 2023 | East Ayrshire |
Red kite | 2023 | Highand |
Red kite | 2023 | East Ayrshire |
Red Kite | 2023 | Highland |
Osprey | 2023 | Highland |
Kestrel | 2023 | South Lanarkshire |
Barn owl | 2023 | Highland |
Golden eagle | 2024 | Highland |
Red Kite | 2024 | Highland |
Red Kite | 2024 | Highland |
Buzzard | 2024 | Highland |
Buzzard | 2024 | Highland |
Buzzard | 2024 | South Lanarkshire |
Buzzard | 2024 | Scottish Borders |
Buzzard | 2024 | Aberdeenshire |
Buzzard | 2024 | South Lanarkshire |
White-tailed eagle | 2024 | Highland |
Golden eagle | 2024 | Dumfries & Galloway |
Buzzard | 2024 | South Lanarkshire |
From the information in the table above, there has been a total of 71 raptor deaths in Scotland, as a result of collision with onshore wind turbines.
The information supplied above is submitted voluntarily to our collision records email address ([email protected]), which was launched in 2013. However, NatureScot does not hold a comprehensive record of bird collisions with wind turbines, so we cannot give you an accurate figure for the number of bird collisions with wind turbines as you requested.
All these records, relate to onshore wind farms: collecting any data at sea due to collision with offshore wind farms presents a number of significant practical challenges. As we have not fully answered your question, the EIRs require us to tell you that we are applying Regulation 10(4)(a) (information not held by an authority) to your request.
We also regularly check reports from WIIS (Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme) undertaken by SASA, this scheme is primarily designed to determine cause of death, when the cause of death is considered either suspicious, or, unknown. However, some wind farm operators do regularly send bird carcasses to WIIS for post-mortem analysis.
There is more information about this on our website.
In relation to offshore windfarms, all post consent monitoring reports for offshore wind, goes to Marine Scotland Licensing and Operations Team (MSLOT). They would be the best contact for information on bird kills at offshore windfarms. Information about how to submit an FOI to the Scottish Government is available at this link.
How We Handled Your Request
We believe you have asked for environmental information as defined in the Environmental Information (Scotland Regulations 2004 (‘the EIRs’), so we are dealing with your request under those regulations. To be able to use the EIRs, we must apply an exemption under section 39(2) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (‘FOISA’). The Scottish Information Commissioner’s guidance recommends that public authorities apply this exemption to environmental information and handle request under the EIRs.
If you would like to find out more about the access to information legislation, there is a guidance booklet available on the Scottish Information Commissioner’s website.
Review and Appeal
I hope this information meets your requirements, but if you are dissatisfied with how we have responded to your information request, please write to us within 40 working days explaining your concerns. You can contact us at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW or email us at [email protected]. We will carry out a review of our response and contact you with our findings within 20 working days.
If you are not satisfied following this, you can make an appeal to the Scottish Information Commissioner within 6 months. The Scottish Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Scottish Information Commissioner
Kinburn Castle
Doubledykes Road
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9DS
Telephone: 01334 464610
Yours sincerely
FOI Officer,
NatureScot