This report presents partial results from a multiyear study associated with a project funded by the Wind Wildlife Research Fund that aims to refine the curtailment algorithm used by IdentiFlight, a camera-based technology that uses artificial intelligence to track bird movements and execute curtailment orders when eagles are at risk of colliding with operating turbines, and lays the groundwork for continued improvement of the IdentiFlight system.
Investigators used data from over 10,000 eagle flight paths detected at an operating wind facility in Wyoming to quantify the likelihood of eagles entering the rotor-swept zone of operating turbines. They could then identify which turbines and months are most associated with increased eagle collision risk.
Results from this study and follow-on work could be used to improve the IdentiFlight technology to both maximize energy production and minimize eagle collision risk. Final results from this study will be published in one or more peer-reviewed journals in 2022.