Results Category: Birds

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Used to Assess Performance of Automated Detection and Audio Deterrent System for Reducing Wind-Turbine Collison Risk for Golden Eagles

REWI was appointed as the prime awardee of DOE award number DE-EE000788 to evaluate the performance of DTBird at two commercial facilities in CA and WA, USA.

Effectiveness of a Detection and Deterrent System in Reducing Golden Eagle Fatalities at Operational Wind Facilities

The Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) was appointed as the prime awardee of DOE award number DE-EE0007883 to lead a team in evaluating the effectiveness of a DTBird system minimizing the risk of collision to large soaring raptors when approaching the RSZ of operating wind turbines.

Assessing Carcass Relocation for Offsetting Golden Eagle Mortality at Wind Energy Facilities

Wildlife Monitoring Workshop Results

A strategic conversation to increase the management value of post-construction wildlife monitoring at wind energy facilities

Solar Energy Interactions with Wildlife and Their Habitats: A Summary of Research Results and Priority Questions

This summary reviews publicly available information about the adverse impacts and potential benefits of ground-mounted large scale - PV solar power on wildlife in North America.

National Solar Wildlife Research Plan 2023-2025

REWI has developed this National Solar Wildlife Research Plan outlining its strategic priorities and approach to solar-wildlife challenges and opportunities.

Seasonal patterns of bird and bat collision fatalities at wind turbines

Information on when birds and bats die from collisions with wind turbines can help refine efforts to minimize fatalities via curtailment of energy productions and can offer insight into the risk factors associated with collision fatalities.

Game bird carcasses are less persistent than raptor carcasses, but can predict raptor persistence dynamics

Researchers conduct post-construction fatality monitoring (PCFM) to determine a wind energy facility’s direct impacts on wildlife. Results of PCFM can be used to evaluate compliance with permitted take, potentially triggering adaptive management measures or offsetting mitigation; reducing uncertaint

Evaluating the effectiveness of a camera-based detection system to support informed curtailment and minimize eagle fatalities at wind energy facilities

The American Wind Wildlife Institute (AWWI – now Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute, REWI) was appointed prime awardee of DOE award number DE-EE0007880 to lead a team of scientists, wind developers, and technology manufacturers in a collaborative evaluation of the effectiveness of Identiflight.

Paint it Black: Does Painting Wind Turbine Blades Increase Visibility to Reduce Bird Fatalities?

In this publication synthesis, AWWI summarizes the results of a study in Norway that investigated the effect of painting one of three turbine blades black as a strategy to increase the visibility of rotating blades to birds thereby reducing collision fatalities.

Summary of Wind Power Interactions with Wildlife

This document summarizes publicly available information about the adverse impacts of land-based wind power on wildlife in North America and the status of our knowledge regarding how to avoid or minimize these impacts.

Performance of the GenEst Mortality Estimator Compared to The Huso and Shoenfeld Estimators

This study compared the performance of GenEst to other mortality estimators used to correct for sources of detection error in post-construction monitoring studies and estimate mortality for birds and bats at wind energy facilities.

AWWIC Bird Technical Report – 2nd Edition (2020)

AWWIC is the most comprehensive post-construction fatality database in the U.S., incorporating both public and confidential data. This 2nd Edition report (2020) ensures the most up-to-date data are available for generating hypotheses about bird collision risk at wind energy facilities.

National Wind Wildlife Research Plan 2020-2023

This updated Plan is a refresh of the 2017 document and identifies priority areas of research in 2020-2023 to achieve key outcomes for wind energy development and wildlife conservation.

Guidance for Potential Hosts of Wind-Wildlife Technologies and Strategies

This resource provides details of considerations for installing and operating wildlife risk-minimization technologies and strategies at wind energy facilities.

Impacts to Wildlife of Wind Energy Siting and Operation in the U.S.

This report provides provides a peer-reviewed synthesis of current, accurate, and properly contextualized information about the benefits of wind energy, adverse wind-wildlife impacts, efforts to find solutions, and recommended focus for future research.

AWWIC Bird Technical Report – 1st Edition (2019)

AWWIC is the most comprehensive post-construction fatality database in the U.S., incorporating both public and confidential data. This 1st Edition Bird Technical Report (2019) sets the foundation for further studies of what bird species are at risk, and where and why they are at risk.

Technology Integration White Paper

This white paper provides guidance on the technical details for integrating wildlife impact minimization technologies into operating wind energy facilities.

DTBird Technology Evaluation

This pilot test of DTBird, a technology designed to detect and deter birds, evaluated its ability to detect and deter large raptors and reduce the risk of collisions of these birds with wind turbines.

Compensatory Mitigation for Golden Eagles: Reducing Vehicle Collisions

AWWI and collaborators developed a model that estimates the number of golden eagles that can be saved by removing roadkill to reduce eagle fatalities from vehicle collisions.

IdentiFlight Technology Evaluation

This proof-of-performance test of IdentiFlight, a camera-based eagle detection/curtailment technology, evaluated its ability to detect and classify eagles at wind farms by comparing its capabilities to those of human observers.

Wind Documents Library

The Wind-Wildlife Documents Library is a searchable database of publicly available literature and reports related to wind energy and wildlife in North America.

Comprehensive Guide to Studying Wind Energy/Wildlife Interactions

This resource document of the Wildlife Workgroup is intended as a guide to persons involved in designing, conducting, or requiring wind energy/wildlife interaction studies.

A Review of Conservation Options for Golden Eagles at Wind Energy Facilities

This publication discusses strategies for evaluating and implementing conservation measures for golden eagles at wind energy facilities and provides an updated framework for AWWI's Eagle Program.

National Wind Wildlife Research Plan 2018-2020

This Plan identifies priority areas of research 2018-2020 to achieve key outcomes for wind energy development and wildlife conservation.

Eagle Issue Brief

This Issue Brief provides an overview of eagle conservation policy in the U.S. and applications to eagles and wind energy.

Prairie Grouse Issue Brief

This Issue Brief describes research (both ongoing and planned) and conservation strategies being employed to protect prairie-chickens and sage-grouse.

Predicting Eagle Fatalities at Wind Facilities

This paper compiles site-specific data on eagle activity and fatalities at wind energy facilities to update and refine the Bayesian predictive eagle “take” model developed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, providing more accurate estimates of take.

Estimating Mitigation Credits from Abating Lead Poisoning in Golden Eagles

This model quantifies the number of eagles that could be saved from voluntary measures to reduce their exposure to lead, expanding the number of compensatory mitigation options for eagles.

Effects of Wind Power Development on the Population Biology of Greater Prairie-Chickens in Kansas

This research brief summarizes the key findings from the comprehensive seven-year research project on the effects of wind power development on Greater Prairie-Chickens in Kansas.

Do Raptors React to Ultraviolet Light?

This study examined whether raptors respond to ultraviolet light to inform use of ultraviolet light as a possible deterrent at wind energy facilities.

Small Passerine Fatality Synthesis

This publication provides the most detailed analysis to date of bird fatalities at wind energy facilities in North America, and is the first to measure the relative impact of those fatalities on populations of small passerines.

Eagle Research Framework

This document is a framework for a national, hypothesis-driven research program on eagles and wind energy. It provides guidance on research into estimating, minimizing, and compensating for take of eagles at wind energy facilities.

Eagle White Paper

This White Paper provides information on population status and trends of bald and golden eagles, anthropogenic sources of eagle mortality, potential mitigation options, and research and conservation priorities.

Siting Resources

Learn about resources for conducting preliminary wind-site assessments (Tier 1 of the USFWS Wind Energy Guidelines) here. These tools and resources help wind developers identify potential risks to wildlife and habitats early in the process.