Busse P. 2013. Methodological procedure for pre-investment wind farm ornithological
monitoring based on collision risk estimation. Ring 35: 3-30.
Even though the proportion of wind farm victims compared to general bird spe-
cies mortality is relatively low, there is necessity to limit direct and indirect losses to
the bird populations caused by this kind of human activity. Estimation of threats to
the birds resulting from building of wind farms is a very difficult task and it must take
into account several constrains. The basic task is to build farms in localities that are
the safest to birds. This can be achieved by pre-investment monitoring and direct ob-
servations at the spot and then evaluation of potential threats and risks. Field methods
typical for the studies on bird populations are usually applied in such monitoring. The
procedure described below includes four steps: screening (starts the process and sets
preliminary constrains of the location), monitoring (standardised data are collected
at the location), estimations of potential collision risk and evaluation of the location.
The key parameters determining collision risk of bird species are: (1) the number
of individuals utilising the monitored area in different seasons, (2) air space utiliza-
tion (height and directions of flights), as well as (3) characteristics of the species be-
haviour. The starting data set contains: species name, number of individuals, height
of flight (three layers – below, in, above the rotor), and distance from the observer.
The final estimation of the collision index (the most probable number of collisions per
turbine a year) is based on (1) estimation of the total number of individuals that use
the defined area during a year and (2) estimation of probability that the individual
will collide. In the latter (i.e. 2) the most important is that birds can actively avoid
passing through the rotor swept (active avoidance rate) and that even birds, which
crossed the rotor swept area not necessarily will be killed. Calculations are per-
formed for each species separately and then are summarised to get the farm index as
well as season indices. Some values of indices for raptors studied at 76 localities in
Poland are given in the table.
The final evaluation of the site is made as shown in a parametric analysis table, discussion
of cumulative and barrier effects and the discussion of species specific risk to species of
high conservation concern.
Real Time Impact Factor:
Pending
Author Name: Busse P.
URL: View PDF
Keywords: wind farm, pre-investment monitoring, birds, collision estimation, methods, cumulative risk, barrier effect, raptor collision indices
ISSN: 0035-5429
EISSN: 2083-3520
EOI/DOI: DOI 10.2478/ring-2013-0001
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