Nationwide collisions between birds and blades kill about 2.3 birds of all varieties per turbine per year, according to The Oregonian. Birds of prey -- some of them on the endangered list -- are disproportionately represented among the fatalities.

With thousands of turbines going up each year, conservations are crying fowl, questioning the cost of species loss in wind power development. New transmission lines that bring the power to the grid are also of concern for their lethal consequences.

Today's turbine blades turn more slowly than in years past, but could some warning systems be developed to better protect endangered birds?