According to a recent study, it’s a catastrophe that American bird species are facing right now. The U.S. State of the Birds report unflinchingly states that one-third of all species are going quickly extinct. This shocking number speaks to a broader trend. Annually in the U.S., wind turbines kill an estimated 140,000 to 327,000 birds. Through a combination of tracking technology and archival data, the new research helps to spotlight better images practices at sea.
Shannon Curley, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, was the study’s first author. Adriaan Dokter, a research associate at the same institution, was co-author on the paper. Jointly, they applied a decade’s span of weather radar data. It was an ambitious study covering 16 sites from Maine down through Florida, up around the Gulf of Mexico back to Texas. This detailed study offers essential information on the movements of birds by the hundreds of millions, both east and west coasts.
Insights from Migration Patterns
The project revealed that offshore migration is the norm along the Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf coast. It uncovered remarkable contrasts in migration patterns between the two seasons. The data showed that a greater number of birds made the fall migration than the spring. It’s a wondrous time in which young birds take their first trip south. This exacerbates the vulnerability of these populations to the existing layer of hazards that migration brings with it.
The analysis found that offshore migrants fly, on average, 13%-20% lower than their terrestrial counterparts. This greater altitude makes them more susceptible to collisions with wind turbines. This is particularly salient as they pass through more intensified migration pulses for shorter intervals. In the spring, the western half of the Gulf of Mexico experiences a massive wave of birds making the crossing. The eastern half sees an influx of bird activity in the fall.
Risks Associated with Wind Turbines
Wind turbines, which now tower over the landscape nationwide, have been a major flashpoint for avian conservationists. At least hundreds of thousands birds have perished due to collisions with these structures. We need to quickly evaluate their effects on migrating species. The report stresses that offshore wind energy provides a viable long-term solution. If left unregulated, it can create serious hazards to birds.
Researchers are decoding the migration patterns and bird behavior. In their report, they stress an approach based on data-driven decisions, particularly with siting and operational decisions for turbines. By understanding when and where birds are migrating, energy developers can implement strategies to mitigate risks without compromising energy production.
Strategies for Mitigating Bird Collisions
With the implementation of additional practices suggested the study advocates, bird safety should be prioritized, especially during peak migration periods. One such strategy involves pausing turbine operations during periods of intense migration. This proactive and science-based measure would not only help reduce collision rates in a meaningful way, it would help protect vulnerable bird populations.
Through the use of science based on years of rigorous research into migratory patterns, energy developers are better equipped to synchronize their operations with conservation efforts. By implementing adaptive management strategies to undergird the dual goals of fostering sustainable energy development while ensuring wildlife are not harmed, these conflicts can be minimized.