Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments
High‐quality staging sites are critical for long‐distance migratory shorebirds to rest and refuel but are under threat from human development, including expansion of wind energy projects. However, predicting migration timing and movements in relation to weather conditions at staging sites can increa...
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crwiley:10.1111/ibi.12771 2024-06-02T08:01:54+00:00 Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments Howell, Jessica E. McKellar, Ann E. Espie, Richard H. M. Morrissey, Christy A. Environment and Climate Change Canada University of Saskatchewan Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12771 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ibi.12771 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/ibi.12771 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Ibis volume 162, issue 2, page 535-547 ISSN 0019-1019 1474-919X journal-article 2019 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12771 2024-05-03T11:37:03Z High‐quality staging sites are critical for long‐distance migratory shorebirds to rest and refuel but are under threat from human development, including expansion of wind energy projects. However, predicting migration timing and movements in relation to weather conditions at staging sites can increase our understanding and mitigate effects of wind turbine collisions. Here we assessed northward migration timing and orientation in relation to environmental conditions at an inland staging area in Saskatchewan, Canada, with active and proposed wind energy developments. The area is known to host ~25% of North America's Sanderling Calidris alba population and 16 other Arctic‐breeding migrant shorebird species. We quantified arrival and departure time of day in relation to weather using data from 140 of 237 Sanderlings radiotagged locally and at a southern staging site in the Gulf of Mexico with the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (April–June, 2015–2017). Although Sanderling arrival times were not related to time of day or weather, departures were more likely at sunset in winds blowing towards the northwest at intermediate speeds (<22 km/h). Departure flights were also primarily oriented north‐northwest in the direction of a proposed wind energy development site at a mean ground speed of 21.4 m/s. Based on published climb rates and flight speed data, we estimated that shorebirds needed between 2 and 14 km setback distance to clear maximum turbine heights of 165 m. Given that departure events were predictable in time and space, adaptive mitigation may be useful for planning wind energy developments while reducing risk for staging Arctic‐breeding shorebirds. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Calidris alba Sanderling Wiley Online Library Arctic Canada Ibis 162 2 535 547 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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English |
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High‐quality staging sites are critical for long‐distance migratory shorebirds to rest and refuel but are under threat from human development, including expansion of wind energy projects. However, predicting migration timing and movements in relation to weather conditions at staging sites can increase our understanding and mitigate effects of wind turbine collisions. Here we assessed northward migration timing and orientation in relation to environmental conditions at an inland staging area in Saskatchewan, Canada, with active and proposed wind energy developments. The area is known to host ~25% of North America's Sanderling Calidris alba population and 16 other Arctic‐breeding migrant shorebird species. We quantified arrival and departure time of day in relation to weather using data from 140 of 237 Sanderlings radiotagged locally and at a southern staging site in the Gulf of Mexico with the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (April–June, 2015–2017). Although Sanderling arrival times were not related to time of day or weather, departures were more likely at sunset in winds blowing towards the northwest at intermediate speeds (<22 km/h). Departure flights were also primarily oriented north‐northwest in the direction of a proposed wind energy development site at a mean ground speed of 21.4 m/s. Based on published climb rates and flight speed data, we estimated that shorebirds needed between 2 and 14 km setback distance to clear maximum turbine heights of 165 m. Given that departure events were predictable in time and space, adaptive mitigation may be useful for planning wind energy developments while reducing risk for staging Arctic‐breeding shorebirds. |
author2 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada University of Saskatchewan Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Howell, Jessica E. McKellar, Ann E. Espie, Richard H. M. Morrissey, Christy A. |
spellingShingle |
Howell, Jessica E. McKellar, Ann E. Espie, Richard H. M. Morrissey, Christy A. Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments |
author_facet |
Howell, Jessica E. McKellar, Ann E. Espie, Richard H. M. Morrissey, Christy A. |
author_sort |
Howell, Jessica E. |
title |
Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments |
title_short |
Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments |
title_full |
Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments |
title_fullStr |
Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments |
title_full_unstemmed |
Predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments |
title_sort |
predictable shorebird departure patterns from a staging site can inform collision risks and mitigation of wind energy developments |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12771 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ibi.12771 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/ibi.12771 |
geographic |
Arctic Canada |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada |
genre |
Arctic Calidris alba Sanderling |
genre_facet |
Arctic Calidris alba Sanderling |
op_source |
Ibis volume 162, issue 2, page 535-547 ISSN 0019-1019 1474-919X |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12771 |
container_title |
Ibis |
container_volume |
162 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
535 |
op_container_end_page |
547 |
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1800746399614107648 |