Birdlife soars on nature-friendly solar farms

Birds across Eastern England's arable landscapes are thriving on solar farms managed with nature in mind.

Research by scientists from the RSPB and University of Cambridge as part of the Centre for Landscape Regeneration has found that UK solar farms managed for nature could benefit birds, including threatened species like Corn Buntings, Greenfinches, Yellowhammers, and Linnets.

The UK is committed to reaching net zero by 2050, which means moving from fossil fuels to clean energy such as solar and wind. Areas of land devoted to solar farms are increasing but are sometimes assumed to be bad for nature.

"Our study shows that if you manage solar energy production in a certain way, not only are you providing clean energy but benefitting biodiversity," said Dr Catherine Waite, researcher at the University of Cambridge, and co-author of the study.

The new research published in the journal Bird Study, found that – hectare for hectare – solar farms situated in agriculturally dominated East Anglia contained a greater number of bird species and overall number of individuals than surrounding arable land.

This suggests that solar farms can provide biodiversity benefits in mixed-use landscapes. These numbers varied dramatically with solar farm management, with areas with a greater mix of habitats, managed specifically for nature co-benefits, having the greatest diversity - nearly three times as many birds compared to adjacent arable land.

“With lots of demands on UK land, finding ways and space to reverse the long-term declines in a range of farmland birds is challenging," said Dr Joshua Copping, conservation scientist at the RSPB and lead author of the study.

"Species such as Corn Bunting, Greenfinch, Linnet and Yellowhammer have seen their populations dwindle and finding ways to help them is critical for their long- term survival."

Copping said the results of this study suggest that solar farms managed well for nature could make an important contribution and could provide relief from the effects of agricultural intensification on these species and other wildlife in the surrounding landscape. 

“Delivering a future that safeguards nature, tackles climate change, ensures food security and resilient farm businesses, and enables sustainable development is the only sensible path," said RSPB Chief Executive Beccy Speight. "This research shows that it is possible to balance competing needs.” 

The research took place in England's East Anglian Fens and looked at two types of solar farms: those with a mix of habitats within the solar farm and those with a simpler associated habitat.  Simple habitat was intensively managed, with no hedgerows along the boundaries and was constantly grazed by sheep. The mixed habitat solar farms had hedgerows around the edges, with no sheep grazing or grass cutting, leading to a greater diversity of flowering plants. 

The highest abundance of threatened Red and Amber listed bird species (such as Corn Bunting, Greenfinch, Yellowhammer and Linnet) was in mixed habitat solar and was significantly higher than in both surrounding arable land and in the simple habitat solar sites.

Mixed habitat solar also held the highest total abundance of bird species. This suggests that nature-friendly management practices could significantly increase the nature value of solar sites.

New solar farms should not be located in areas of ecological risk, nature-protected sites and other sites that are important for rare or declining species, as these continue to be vital refuges for wildlife and restoring such sites is crucial for meeting the Government’s legally binding nature recovery targets.   

Solar farms do not pose a threat to our national food security or food production, especially when built on low grade agricultural land.

Helpfully, planning policies in Great Britain discourage solar farms from being built on high-grade agricultural land.

Last year, the RSPB published a study that found there is sufficient land for nature restoration needs, while building the renewable energy infrastructure required for net zero – but achieving these goals in tandem will require planning that prioritises nature. 

Beccy Speight concluded “We need a strategic and spatial approach to planning for renewable energy to ensure that solar farms are built in areas of low risk for nature and where we can deliver on our nature recovery targets alongside our net zero targets.”

This research was conducted by the Centre for Landscape Regeneration. To find out more about the Centre's work visit CLR.