The main killers of birds are: Cats, cars, glass windows, power lines and pesticides. The amount of birds killed by wind power is tiny in comparison. NIMBYs like to abuse this argument to avoid building wind farms while not caring for birds at all.
What are the populations and breeding rates of the birds killed by cats vs the birds killed by wind turbines?
I would say that anyone who is not looking at that data and is attempting to frame it as cats are worse so who cares is being disingenuous.
What I remember is that Wind turbines are build in large open fields that make good habitats for prey as well as creating thermals for them to lift on.
If my memory is correct, that means that wind turbines create a trap that draws in apex species by presenting them with what appears to be the ideal hunting ground and then kills them by presenting a hazard that they can not adapt to.
I have nothing against wind turbines, I rather enjoy them.
But as an aside, I think that the proponents do not listen to those who do have complains (i.e. shadows of the blades on houses, noise) and label them as NIMBY where the same groups have no issue in playing up less rational complaints about nuclear sites. I think it is a disingenuous tactic to bring up cats in the argument as they are not related to the discussion. It is similar to if we were debating Nuclear Power and I bring up that "More people drown in dam reservoirs and rivers". Sure, it is a great thing to know that I am more at risk of drowning but that does not do anything about the concerns of Nuclear Power.
Edit: Anther user has also heard the same thing: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37481309
I assume 99% of birds die of other causes.
... Hold on, are you suggesting that it's uncertain whether wind turbines work, or something?