Archive · 21 Aug 2026
China’s Solar Expansion Linked to Declining Bird Diversity
China is building many solar farms to make cleaner electricity.
A study found that places with fast solar development had fewer kinds of birds.
This was especially true where cropland and grassland were changed for solar projects.
Birds that live in China year-round and birds that migrate were both affected.
The strongest declines happened in wealthier areas outside deserts.
Some mountain birds were mostly unaffected because solar farms are not suitable for their habitats.
Researchers said solar energy and nature protection can work together.
They recommended checking each site carefully and avoiding areas that are especially important for wildlife.
A study linked rapid solar-farm expansion in China with reduced bird diversity from 2014 to 2023.
Resident and migratory bird species declined most in wealthier, non-desert areas with rapid solar development.
Researchers analyzed 2,344 Chinese counties using solar-growth data and citizen-science bird records.
China’s solar footprint reached nearly 4,520 square kilometers by 2024, roughly the size of Rhode Island.
Researchers recommended careful site selection and biodiversity safeguards rather than slowing the renewable-energy transition.
- Who
- Researchers, including first author Huiming Zhang of Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, studied bird diversity in China.
- What
- The study found that rapid, policy-driven solar expansion was linked to declines in bird biodiversity.
- When
- The study examined solar growth and bird records from 2014 to 2023; China’s solar footprint data extended to 2024.
- Where
- Across 2,344 Chinese counties, with stronger effects in wealthier and non-desert regions experiencing rapid solar development.
- Why
- Cropland and grassland were cleared for solar farms, while project locations were selected through development plans rather than mainly by land availability or sunlight intensity.
- Study period
- 2014–2023
- Geographic scope
- 2,344 counties in China
- Bird groups affected
- Resident and migratory species
- Solar footprint by 2024
- Nearly 4,520 square kilometers
- Size comparison
- Roughly equivalent to Rhode Island
- China’s climate target
- Carbon neutrality before 2060
- Recommended response
- Ecological site assessments, limits on habitat-rich land conversion, and biodiversity safeguards
