News
Vultures blind to the dangers of wind farms
Vultures have such large blind spots in their visual field that they cannot see objects directly in front of them when they fly. This discovery explains why vultures frequently collide with conspicuous structures such as wind turbines and power lines, despite having some of the sharpest eyes of any animal.
March 12, 2012
by Ed Yong
in Nature
Collisions with turbines a result of visual adaptation for foraging.
Vultures have such large blind spots in their visual field that they cannot see objects directly in front of them when they fly. This discovery explains why vultures frequently collide with conspicuous structures such as wind turbines and power lines, despite having some of the sharpest eyes of any animal.
This means that making wind turbines more conspicuous will do little to reduce collisions. "You can paint them with bright stripes or hang things off them, but that won't be effective," says Graham Martin, an ornithologist at the University of... [continue via Web link]
Filed under
:
Impact on Birds
:
Location
| < prev | next > |
Note: this article may be subject to the Fair Use Notice.