French renewable energy developer Voltalia plans to install 81 wind turbines in Brazil’s Bahia state, in an area that’s also the main refuge of the endangered Lear’s macaw (Anodorhynchus leari).
Conservationists warn that the birds may collide with the turbines, especially because they fly at dawn and dusk, when visibility is poor.
Fewer than 1,500 Lear’s macaws remain in the area; the species also suffers as a result of trafficking for the illegal pet trade.
Voltalia says it is taking measures to reduce any impacts on the bird, and has also committed to its conservation; but critics say more complete impact assessments are needed before construction should be allowed to begin.
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