Collision Victims and Lattice Towers—Frequency of Collision, Breeding Population and Breeding Success of Birds of Prey in Two Wind Farms in Brandenburg

Abstract

To determine whether wind turbines with lattice towers will lead to more collisions of birds of prey than wind turbines with tubular towers, two comparable Brandenburg wind farms with lattice and tubular towers were searched for collision victims, correction factors were determined to estimate the number of victims and the behaviour of birds of prey at lattice towers and breeding populations and breeding success in the vicinity of the wind farm were determined. The number of bird of prey fatalities found per wind turbine during the 34 weeks of the study period (summer half-year) was 0.3 per wind turbine with lattice tower and 0.2 per wind turbine with tubular tower. An estimate of 1.4 birds of prey per wind turbine per year for lattice towers and 3.3 birds of prey per tubular tower was calculated depending on different correction factors influencing the search success. The perching height of birds of prey on lattice towers as well as breeding population and breeding success did not indicate an additional risk for birds of prey caused by wind turbines with lattice towers.