British researchers say they've determined wind farms pose less of a danger to farmland birds than was previously feared.

The study led by Mark Whittingham of Newcastle University involved bird surveys on arable farmland around two wind farms in the East Anglian area. They recorded nearly 3,000 birds from 23 different species and found wind turbines had no affect on the distribution of seed-eating birds. Common pheasants -- the largest and least maneuverable species -- were the only birds whose distribution was affected by the turbines.

This is the first evidence suggesting the present and future location of large numbers of wind turbines on European farmland is unlikely to have detrimental effects on farmland birds, said Whittingham. This should be welcome news for nature conservationists, wind energy companies and policy makers. With large numbers of wind farms needing to be built on lowland areas, the cumulative impacts on farmland bird species has the potential to be a significant constraint to development.

The study that included Claire Devereux and Matthew Denny appears in the British Ecological Society's Journal of Applied Ecology.

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