In January 2022, the International Energy Agency Wind Task 34—Working Together to Resolve the Environmental Effects of Wind Energy (WREN)—organized a forum to discuss aspects of raptor collision risk with wind turbines. The forum included experts in raptor biology and physiology, collision risk modeling, wind energy development, and atmospheric scientists from seven countries. They represented a range of international stakeholder groups including academia, government agencies, national laboratories, and wildlife consultants. This educational brief, produced by WREN under IEA Wind, summarizes the discussion during the forum and written comments from those who could not attend. Relevant literature was used to provide additional context when needed. A list of the references used to develop this summary is available here.
Collision Risk Modeling – A Tool for Assessing Risks to Raptors at Wind Energy Facilities (English)
En enero de 2022, la tarea eólica 34 de la Agencia Internacional de Energía, "Trabajando juntos para resolver los efectos ambientales de la energía eólica (WREN)", organizó un foro para analizar los riesgos de colisión de aves rapaces con aerogeneradores. El foro incluyó a expertos en biología y fisiología de aves rapaces, modelos de riesgo de colisión, desarrollo de energía eólica, y científicos atmosféricos de siete países. Representaron a una variedad de grupos de partes interesadas internacionales, incluidos académicos, agencias gubernamentales, laboratorios nacionales y consultores de vida silvestre. Este resumen educativo incluye las conversaciones presentadas en el foro y los comentarios escritos de aquellos que no pudieron asistir. Se utilizó literatura relevante que sirviera de contexto adicional cuando era necesario
The table below contains the literature relevant to this summary document and will continue to be updated as new literature is added to Tethys.
| Title | Author | Date Sort ascending | Content Type | Technology | Stressor | Receptor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Movement Models to Predict Low-Altitude Flight of Soaring Birds Using Look-Ahead Environmental Factors | Sandhu, R., Tripp, C., Quon, E., Thedin, R., Lanzone, M., Braham, M., Miller, T., Farmer, C., Brandes, D., Katzner, T. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Bird Survival in Wind Farms by Monte-Carlo Simulation Modelling Based on Wide-Ranging Flight Tracking Data of Multiple Birds During Different Seasons | Yordanov, N., Nabielek, H., Bedev, K., Zehtindjiev, P. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Exploring development of spatially stratified wind turbine collision risk prior distributions for eagles: An application of adaptive management | Howell, P., New, L., Bjerre, E., White, H. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Used to Assess Performance of Automated Detection and Audio Deterrent System for Reducing Wind-Turbine Collison Risk for Golden Eagles | Smith, J., Schneider, S., Zirpoli, J., Terrill, S., Felton, S., Allison, T. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Summary of Bird Monitoring Reports from Operational Wind Energy Facilities in South Africa | BirdLife South Africa | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Passerines, Raptors, Waterfowl | |
| Estimated golden eagle mortality from wind turbines in the western United States | Gedir, J., Gould, M., Millsap, B., Howell, P., Zimmerman, G., Bjerre, E., White, H. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Cumulative collision risk and population-level consequences of industrial wind-power plant development for two vulture species: A quantitative warning | Bounas, A., Vasilakis, D., Kret, E., Zakkak, S., Chatzigiannakou, M., Kapsalis, E., Arkumarev, V., Dobrev, D., Stamenov, A., Stoychev, S., Skartsi, T., Sidiropoulos, L., Halley, J. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Effects of wind turbine dimensions on the collision risk of raptors: A simulation approach based on flight height distributions | Schaub, T., Klaassen, R., Zutter, C., Albert, P., Bedotti, O., Bourrioux, J., Buij, R., Chadoeuf, J., Grande, C., Illner, H., Isambert, J., Janssens, K., Julius, E., Lee, S., Mionnet, A., Muskens, G., Raab, R., Rijn, S., Shamoun-Baranes, J., Spanoghe, G., Hecke, B., Waldenstrom, J., Millon, A. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Reconciling wind energy development with bird conservation: A comparative study of flight behaviour in raptors to understand and mitigate wind turbine collision risk | Schaub, T. | Thesis | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Estimating collision risk for whitetailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) in onshore wind power environments: Application of spatial modelling frameworks and predictive mapping | Halgunset, G. | Thesis | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Fortsetzungsstudie Probabilistik - Das Raumnutzungs-Kollisionsrisikomodell (RKR-Modell) | Mercker, M., Raab, R., Liesenjohann, T., Liedtke, J., Blew, J. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Wirksamkeit des AVES WIND ONSHORE Antikollisionssystems zum Schutz des Rotmilans (Milvus milvus) AVES WIND ONSHORE Antikollisionssystem zum Schutz des Rotmilans (Milvus milvus) Artenschutzfachliche Bewertung | Gross, M., Stieg, J., Hinsch, H. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Reduced survival in a soaring bird breeding in wind turbine proximity along the northern Baltic Sea coast | Nebel, C., Stjernberg, T., Tikkanen, H., Laaksonen, T. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision, Displacement | Birds, Raptors | |
| Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Detection and Deterrent System in Reducing Golden Eagle Fatalities at Operational Wind Facilities | Felton, S., Perkins, L., Smith, J., Terrell, S. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Winds of Progress: An In-Depth Exploration of Offshore, Floating, and Onshore Wind Turbines as Cornerstones for Sustainable Energy Generation and Environmental Stewardship | Afridi, S. K., Koondhar, M. A., Jamali, M., Alaas, Z. M., Alsharif, M. H., Kim, M-K., Mahariq, I., Touti, E., Aoudia, M., Ahmed, M. M. R. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Lighting | Bats, Birds, Raptors, Seabirds, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts | |
| Lack of evasive behaviour by a Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus on impact with a turbine blade at a South African wind farm: causes and mitigations; Absence de comportement évasif d’un Aigle martial Polemaetus bellicosus lors de l’impact avec une pale | Simmons, R., Martins, M. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Wind Farms and Power Lines Reduced the Territory Status and Probability of Fledgling Production in the Eurasian Goshawk Accipiter gentilis | Husby, M. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision, Noise | Birds, Raptors | |
| Approach Distances of Scottish Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos to Wind Turbines According to Blade Motion Status, Wind Speed, and Preferred Habitat | Fielding, A., Anderson, D., Benn, S., Taylor, J., Tingay, R., Weston, E., Whitfield, D. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Long-term impacts of the Smøla wind farm on a local population of white-tailed eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla) | Stokke, B., Dahl, E., Kleven, O., May, R., Nygård, T., Pavón-Jordán, D., Sandercock, B. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision, Displacement | Birds, Raptors | |
| Wind farms and Griffon Vultures: Evidence that under certain conditions history is not-always turbulent | Farfan, M., Díaz-Ruiz, F., Duarte, J., Martín-Taboada, A., Munoz, A-R. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision, Displacement | Birds, Raptors | |
| Incidental eagle carcass detection can contribute to fatality estimation at operating wind energy facilities | Hallingstad, E., Riser-Espinoza, D., Brown, S. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors, Human Dimensions | |
| Detection of wind turbines rotary motion by birds: A matter of speed and contrast | Blary, C., Bonadonna, F., Dussauze, E., Potier, S., Besnard, A., Duriez, O. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Passerines, Raptors | |
| Assessing carcass relocation for offsetting golden eagle mortality at wind energy facilities | Lonsdorf, E., Gerber, J., Ray, D., Slater, S., Allison, T. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Modeling the Spatial Distribution of Carcasses of Eagles Killed by Wind Turbines | Huso, M., Dalthorp, D., Mintz, J., Nygård, T., May, R. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Pilotstudie: Erprobung Probabilistik/Testing Probabilistics | Mercker, M., Liedtke, J., Liesenjohann, T., Blew, J. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Effectiveness of an artificial intelligence-based system to curtail wind turbines to reduce eagle collisions | Duerr, A., Parsons, A., Nagy, L., Kuehn, M., Bloom, P. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| A utilization distribution for the global population of Cape Vultures (Gyps coprotheres) to guide wind energy development | Cervantes, F., Murgatroyd, M., Allan, D., Farwig, N., Kemp, R., Kruger, S., Maude, G., Mendelsohn, J., Rösner, S., Schabo, D., Tate, G., Wolter, K., Amar, A. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Large soaring raptors vs wind turbines development in the Swiss Alps | Vignali, S., Braunisch, V., Arlettaz, R. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision, Displacement | Birds, Raptors | |
| Decoding Golden Eagle Movement Behavior from High-Resolution, Variable-Rate Telemetry Data Through Bayesian Filtering | Sandhu, R., Tripp, C., Quon, E., Thedin, R., Brandes, D., Braham, M., Miller, T., Duerr, A., Farmer, C. | Conference Paper | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Suivi environnemental 2022: Suivi de la mortalité - Parc éolien de la Vallée de Torfou | Habert, T., Yann, M. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds, Passerines, Raptors | |
| A review of raptor carcass persistence trials and the practical implications for fatality estimation at wind farms | Wilson, D., Hulka, S., Bennun, L. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| The species-specificity of energy landscapes for soaring birds, and its consequences for transferring suitability models across species | Scacco, M., Arrondo, E., Donazar, J., Flack, A., Sanchez-Zapata, J., Duriez, O., Wikelski, M., Safi, K. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Changes in Flow, Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Limited rigor in studies of raptor mortality and mitigation at wind power facilities | Conkling, T., McClure, C., Cuadros, S., Loss, S., Katzner, T. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Quantifying Raptors’ Flight Behavior to Assess Collision Risk and Avoidance Behavior to Wind Turbines | Linder, A., Lyhne, H., Laubek, B., Bruhn, D., Pertoldi, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Significant decline of Griffon Vulture collision mortality in wind farms during 13-year of a selective turbine stopping protocol | Ferrer, M., Alloing, A., Baumbush, R., Morandini, V. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Selecting auditory alerting stimuli for eagles on the basis of auditory evoked potentials | Goller, B., Baumhardt, P., Dominguez-Villegas, E., Katzner, T., Fernández-Juricic, E., Lucas, J. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors | |
| Flight characteristics forecast entry by eagles into rotor-swept zones of wind turbines | Rolek, B., Braham, M., Miller, T., Duerr, A., Katzner, T., McCabe, J., Dunn, L., McClure, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy | |
| Wind Farms and Power Lines Have Negative Effects on Territory Occupancy in Eurasian Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo) | Husby, M., Pearson, M. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Avoidance, Collision, Noise | Birds, Raptors, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy | |
| Hotspots in the grid: Avian sensitivity and vulnerability to collision risk from energy infrastructure interactions in Europe and North Africa | Gauld, J., Silva, J., Atkinson, P., Record, P., Acacio, M., Arkumarev, V., Blas, J., Bouten, W., Burten, N., Catry, I., Champagnon, J., Clewley, G., Dagys, M., Duriez, O., Exo, K., Fiedler, W., Flack, A., Friedemann, G., Fritz, J., Garcia-Ripolles, C., Garthe, S., Giunchi, D., Grozdanov, A., Harel, R., Humphreys, E., Janssen, R., Kolzch, A., Kulikova, O., Lameris, T., Lopez-Lopez, P., Masden, E., Monti, F., Nathan, R., Nikolov, S., Oppel, S., Peshev, H., Phipps, L., Pokrovsky, I., Ross-Smith, V., Saravia, V., Scragg, E., Sforzi, A., Stoynov, E., Thaxter, C., Van Steelant, W., van Toor, M., Vorneweg, B., Waldenstrom, J., Wikelski, M., Zydelis, R., Franco, A. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors, Seabirds | |
| Stochastic agent-based model for predicting turbine-scale raptor movements during updraft-subsidized directional flights | Sandhu, R., Tripp, C., Quon, E., Thedin, R., Lawson, M., Brandes, D., Farmer, C., Miller, T., Draxl, C., Doubrawa, P., Williams, L., Duerr, A., Braham, M., Katzner, T. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision | Birds, Raptors |