Protecting avian wildlife for wind farm siting: The Screening Tool Proof of Concept

Abstract

Bird collisions with wind turbines continue to be a major problem within the wind industry. Developing scarecrow technologies and other, more advanced, multi-sensory bird monitoring systems on the market are paving the way to resolving this perplex dilemma. Environmental Impact Assessments are required by regulatory bodies to prove that a wind farm will not cause adverse impacts to vulnerable avian populations. The Screening Tool Proof of Concept is intended to help with permitting, and to reduce seasonal curtailment events resulting from annual migration. It revealed a positive correlation between bird activity hotspots for Pink-footed geese species and distance to crops. The most favorable crops were winter and spring cereals located at Klim Fjordholme Wind Farm in Northern Denmark. The 2 km test radius around the turbine revealed direct impacts of surrounding land use, however, for future developments, increasing the radius will provide further geospatially relevant information across a broader area. Avoidance through initial risk screening is arguably the most effective way to reduce impacts to biodiversity and ensure successful operation via coexistence with avian wildlife.