Is Trump right that wind turbines are killing millions of birds?

Wind turbines in the United States kill approximately one to two million birds annually, a figure that aligns with claims made by Donald Trump but requires significant ecological context. Dr. Hannah Ritchie, a researcher from the University of Oxford, explains that while researchers count carcasses to estimate death rates of 4 to 18 birds per turbine, these figures are dwarfed by other human-related hazards. Domestic and feral cats kill over two billion birds each year—a thousand times the impact of wind power—while building collisions and vehicle strikes account for 600 million and 200 million deaths respectively. Although specific species like raptors and migratory birds face higher risks due to turbine placement on windy ridges, the total avian population of 10 to 20 billion remains relatively stable. Transitioning to wind energy ultimately serves to mitigate climate change and air pollution, which pose far greater long-term threats to global wildlife than mechanical turbine strikes.