The Needletail is a member of the Swift Family, and lives up to his name, for he is the fastest bird in flapping flight (the Peregrine Falcon, fastest animal in the world, achieves her by diving earthwards). He has been recorded at 111 km/hr and is reputed to reach speeds up to 170 km/hr. A migratory bird, he breeds in central Asia and Siberia, heading southwards to Indian and Australia for the winter months.
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This illustration goes out in tribute to the White-throated Needletail that made a rare apperance as a vagrant to Scotland, attracting a large number of bird watchers. Who then watched in horror as it flew into a wind turbine and was killed instantly.
So saying, wind farms might kill the occasional bird but other human-enforced environmental changes: cars, windows, cats, kill a lot more. And hydropower and fossil fueled power have an even more dramatic effect upon the environment, especially with the onslaught of climate change.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/28/birdwatchers-flock-to-see-rare-bird-then-watch-it-killed-by-wind-turbine/
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/jun/28/white-throated-needletail-wind-turbines
Also, should be noted is the difference between "rare" and "endangered". They are not synonyms - "rare" is generally referred to as something that is not usually seen in that particular location - such as a Asian swift in the UK - whereas "endangered" means threatened with extinction. The White-throated Needletail is classified as "least concern".
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