Wind farms present a far smaller danger to birds than previously thought, a new study has found as the world's most powerful turbines are built off the coast of Scotland.

Seabirds largely avoid turbines, according to the review commissioned by the Crown Estate, Marine Scotland and 11 offshore wind farm developers.

Only six collisions were recorded in two years of fieldwork at the Thanet offshore wind farm.

Jan Matthiesen, director of offshore wind at the Carbon Trust, said: "Today marks the result of four years of collaborative work focused on bridging the gap between the theoretical and real understanding of how birds behave around an operational offshore wind farm."

Researchers recorded more than 600,000 videos at the 100-turbine wind farm off the Kent coast but less than 2% showed any evidence of birds at all.

Energy minister Paul Wheelhouse said the study provided "invaluable data" to help developers understand the potential impact of wind farms on wildlife.

Eleven 630ft tall turbines - each three times taller than the Scott Monument - are under construction in Aberdeen Bay.

They are being built a short distance from a golf course owned by US President Donald Trump, who fought a series of failed legal battles against them.

Two of the turbines will be the most powerful ever built offshore, each capable of generating 8.8MW of electricity. All 11 together have the potential to provide 70% of Aberdeen's power.

The wind farm, officially known as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre, is being built by Vattenfall, one of the companies behind the study.