Jodhpur, June 7 -- A comprehensive ecological assessment by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has found that wind turbines in Rajasthan's Thar Desert are responsible for an estimated 13,359 bird deaths annually, including 953 raptors, primarily due to collisions with turbine blades and associated infrastructure. Conducted across a 3,000 sq km landscape in the country's largest desert containing around 900 turbines, the study estimated an average of 1.24 bird deaths per turbine per month. The adjusted annual mortality rate-4,470 birds per 1,000 sq km-places this region near the upper limit of global estimates of wind turbine-related bird deaths. According to the study - conducted during January 2020 to September 2021, and published in the Scientific Reports journal on June 1, 2025 - carcass surveys conducted at 90 randomly selected turbines showed 124 bird deaths, whereas no carcasses were found at nearby control sites without turbines. "This is not just a conservation concern for India but a globally significant issue," senior wildlife scientist Dr Yadvendradev Jhala, one of the authors of the study, said. "We studied bird mortality at wind farms in Thar Desert; a renewable energy hotspot, harbouring 300 bird species, including critically endangered vultures and bustards." According to the study, most of the carcasses were found within a 150-metre radius of the turbines and could be attributed either to direct collisions or electrocution from adjacent power lines. The researchers treated these as a compounded impact of turbines and their infrastructure, while noting the difficulty in distinguishing the specific cause of each death. The study noted that the adjusted annual mortality rate of 14.9 birds per turbine is significantly higher than those reported from other parts of India - such as 0.478 in Kutch (in Gujarat) and 0.466 in Davangere (in Karnataka). The mortality rate aligns closely with some of the highest international estimates, including those from Belgium, Mexico and Canada, the study added. According to the findings, raptors and falcons - both birds of prey - are the worst-hit, with 39% of carcasses belonging to Accipitridae and Falconidae families. These included species such as the white-rumped vulture, tawny eagle, and laggar falcon - all of which are near-threatened species. The researchers estimated that annual raptor mortality was around 953, a significant figure for a region that supports large seasonal populations of migratory and threatened birds. The study added that raptor deaths peaked in January to February. Calling the Thar Desert an important bird area that supports 65 migratory and 20 threatened species, the study stressed the need for ecologically informed planning of wind energy infrastructure. The researchers also supported mitigation measures, such as painting one turbine blade black - a method found effective elsewhere in making turbines more visible to birds....