Wind turbine kills golden eagle in the Jura
A golden eagle was killed by a wind turbine in the Jura. The incident highlights the risks of wind energy for birds of prey.
The golden eagle, also known as the “king of the skies”, is rarely found in the Swiss Jura.
For a long time, only two pairs of this endangered bird were known to exist in the area. Recently, an additional pair was spotted in the Neuchâtel Jura.
Only now – in January 2022 – has it come to light that in November of last year, a golden eagle died in the Bernese Jura after flying into a wind turbine. The incident was witnessed by a hiker on 6 November 2021. When he arrived at the scene, he could only confirm the death of the bird of prey. He took photographs with his mobile phone. The rotors of the installation had severed the head of the adult bird, which had a wingspan of just under two metres. The golden eagle, which had been riding a thermal updraft, collided with the rotor blades of turbine No. 4 at the Mont-Soleil wind farm in the Bernese Jura.
Officials from the Bern Hunting Inspectorate found the carcass of the animal after being alerted by the man. The dead bird was an adult that had previously been spotted repeatedly together with a female in the area around the Chasseral, on the border between the cantons of Bern and Neuchâtel. The Mont Crosin wind turbine is part of a wind farm in the region.
Danger to wild birds
Environmental organisations, authorities, media, and the public repeatedly warn of the threat that wind farms pose to biodiversity in our country. The news confirms the seriousness of the danger, which also affects a large number of protected species. The death of a single eagle puts the entire golden eagle population in the Swiss Jura at risk!
The measures taken by wind farm operators to prevent collisions with nesting bird species have been demonstrably ineffective. Numerous wind energy projects are currently planned in areas that are highly sensitive for birdlife, particularly along the Jura arc, where the survival of many bird and bat species is in direct conflict with wind energy development.
Given the scale of the risk, Freie Landschaft Schweiz is calling for an immediate ten-year moratorium on all wind energy projects that pose a potential risk to birdlife. This moratorium is intended to allow for a proper evaluation of the risks and the implementation of necessary measures to prevent even greater damage to our country's biodiversity. Unfortunately, the eagle from the Chasseral can no longer be saved.
