By Matt Pretorius, Project Manager Wildlife & Infrastructure

First published by The Endangered Wildlife Trust

Mpumalanga Province is emerging as a key area for wind energy development in South Africa.

As the country accelerates its shift towards renewable energy and gradually moves away from coal, the demand for suitable locations to build new wind farms is growing rapidly. However, some of the areas with the best wind resources in Mpumalanga are also home to threatened bird species that are prone to collisions with wind turbines.

South Africa’s energy system is under pressure. Many coal-fired power stations are old and due to be decommissioned, while past delays in the completion at large-scale power projects like Kusile and Medupi made it difficult to meet rising electricity demand. Although load-shedding has become less frequent, the need for alternative energy sources remains urgent. With other wind-rich areas reaching grid capacity, developers are now turning to Mpumalanga for new opportunities.

At the same time, conservationists have raised concerns about the impact of wind turbines on birds. Some species are particularly vulnerable to collisions with turbines, as highlighted in the recent ‘Summary of Bird Monitoring Reports from Operational Wind Energy Facilities in South Africa’ by BirdLife South Africa. Some of these species of conservation concern in Mpumalanga are endemic to the region and are listed in the 2025 Regional Red Data Book of Birds of South Africa, Lesotho and Kingdom of Eswatini (Red Data Book – BirdLife South Africa).

To address this issue, the Mpumalanga Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Land and Environmental Affairs (DARDLEA) appointed the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) in 2024 to undertake the Mpumalanga Bird Flyways Research Project. This collaborative initiative, led by DARDLEA, also involves the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) and Birdlife South Africa (BLSA). The aim of the partnership is to gather essential data on bird movements to understand the flyways and flight patterns of birds of conservation concern in Mpumalanga in order to ensure informed decision making with regards to renewable energy projects in the province, in particular wind energy facilities.

The project involves fitting lightweight GPS tracking devices to 12 priority bird species that are particularly susceptible to colliding with wind turbines. These include Greater and Lesser Flamingos, Martial Eagle, Cape Vulture, Jackal Buzzard, Grey Crowned Crane, Blue Crane, Wattled Crane, Blue Korhaan, White-bellied Korhaan, Denham’s Bustard, and Secretary Bird. Notably, three of these species—the Blue Korhaan, White-bellied Korhaan, and Denham’s Bustard—have never been tracked before, and several others have not yet been tracked in Mpumalanga.

Since the project began in September 2024, 15 birds have been fitted with GPS tags, including seven Jackal Buzzards, four Greater Flamingos, two Blue Korhaans, and a Cape Vulture. These devices are already providing valuable insights into bird behaviour, revealing not only where species move, feed, and breed, but also bird flight path patterns indicating heights and patterns that these birds are following when in flight. Some species, such as Blue Korhaans, appear to remain within small home ranges, while others, such as Flamingos and Buzzards, travel widely between provinces.

These data will be used to map regular flyways and flight paths, as well as home ranges, and be used to develop detailed species-specific sensitivity models. These tools may also help decision-makers and developers avoid high-risk areas when planning new wind energy projects.

Some mitigation strategies are already being explored, such as Shutdown-on-Demand (SDOD) systems that temporarily stop turbines when birds are detected nearby. However, these systems have limitations. For example, many Flamingos fly mainly at night, and most existing SDOD systems are not capable of identifying nocturnal flights.

The Mpumalanga Bird Flyways Research Project is a groundbreaking initiative as it is the first state-funded project of its kind in South Africa. Hopefully, it will serve as a model for other provinces to follow. By combining scientific research with conservation planning, the project is helping to ensure that the country’s renewable energy future does not come at the cost of its rich and irreplaceable birdlife.