Abstract
Various methods exist to ‘smooth’ altitude measurements derived by GPS-loggers on live birds, and thus reduce errors in the data. Smoothing is a data processing technique used to reduce random ‘noise’ or uncertainty in GPS data, helping make patterns and trends more visible. Instead of showing every fluctuation, which is likely misrepresentative of the true behaviour of the species, smoothing creates a cleaner representation of the underlying signal. This report provides an overview of three smoothing techniques, using spatial GPS derived flight altitude data collected on live great black-backed gulls as an example.
By applying smoothing to GPS data the reliability of altitude measurements can be enhanced, thereby improving the accuracy of collision risk estimates with (offshore) wind farms for (sea)birds. Ultimately, refining these methods will contribute to more robust projections of potential bird mortality associated with offshore wind farm developments, informing both ecological impact assessments and future policy decisions.