A major project has been launched on the impact of wind turbines on bird populations.
The Scottish Windfarm Bird Steering Group (SWBSG) is commissioning research into what sort of habitats are controlled by windfarm companies.
It is aiming to put together an overview of the industry, and find out how many windfarms with a potential generating capacity of more than 5MW there are and where they are located.
Ultimately, the group wants to put all the available information into a central database which could be used by all interested parties and act as a measure for future developments.
The SWBSG is a joint venture between the industry body Scottish Renewables, Scottish Natural Heritage, the Scottish Government and RSPB Scotland.
With more than 150 windfarms operating across Scotland, the group was set up this summer to provide an independent assessment of the impact of turbines on bird species, both positive and negative.
Its chairman, Professor Colin Galbraith, said one aspect of the research was to establish what sort of land was in the hands of windfarm operators and to see if the land could be managed in a way which benefited birds.
“If you look at the Highlands, Perthshire, Aberdeenshire, it’s what sort of habitats do they have there, is it uplands, lowlands, heather, peatland?” Prof Galbraith said.
“It’s to look at what they have got and how they are managed. Could they be managed in a different way in the future that can benefit some bird species?”
While there were “patchy” reports of birds being killed after colliding with turbines, there was little hard evidence, Prof Galbraith said.
“We would want to look at any collision risks and update that,” he said.
“It is really about trying to get a handle on the whole relationship between the industry and bird populations and see if there is an impact and be quite objective about it.”
A spokeswoman said: “RSPB Scotland believes wind energy can play an important role in the fight against climate change.
“However, windfarms can cause serious problems for birds if they are not carefully designed, sited and managed.”
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