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Dr. Andreas Traxler, BIOME Austria
Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
image © Richter
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Species-specific safety rangerecommendations for windfarms
Safety range around BREEDING SITES
Verification range
Regularly frequented flight paths
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Safety range recommendations encountered in Germany & Austria
„Helgoland Paper“ 2014: WORKING GROUP OF GERMAN STATE BIRD CONSERVANCIES [LAG VSW]
500 m to the nest (precautionary recommendations)
LANGEMACH & DÜRR 2019: „Information on wind-energy impacts on birds“
200 – 250 m (avoidance radius)
Case example: Nightjar safety ranges
image © Dürr
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Nightjar survey and impact assessment
From where is Safety range measured?
•breeding site
• song territory, churring sites
•homerange
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
One-minute Nightjar excursion
• Nocturnal and hidden activity
• Flying insect hunter moths, beetles, flies,…
• Ground breeder no nest-building
• Various habitat types oceanic to steppe-climate
• General knowledge gaps
• Hard to investigate populations and reproduction ratesMain references:Schlegel 1969, Wichmann 2004, Brünner et al. 2008
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Nightjar survey handicaps
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
One-minute Nightjar excursion
May & Augustextended feedinghabitat
June, July (& August)reduced activity range(1st & 2nd brood)
SeptemberAutumn migration toSouthern Africa
in accordance with SHARPS 2013
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
1. Acoustical mapping of churring sites no localisation of breeding sites
2. Tracking approaches (bird catching required)
Advantage: breeding success
a. Standard devices: UHF / VHF radio-tags
Nightjar survey principles
b. Next step: micro GPS-tagssatellite trackingfrequent signal intervals
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Collision mortality
1x 2001 in Spain LANGGEMACH & DÜRR 2019 (small turbines)
1x 2015 in Bulgaria (migrating bird)
no collision reports during breeding season with modern turbines
Disturbance effects
- displacement of churring males INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
- reduction of breeding success FEW STUDIES (SHEWRING 2019)
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Turbine & windfarm designs have changed markedly over the last decades!
Development of windfarm design & impacts
1985: Kenetech KCS 56 - 100KWø 17m, 20m hub
Altamont pass windfarm (USA)
strong barrier effects, collision20m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
2005: Enercon E-70 - 2.3MWø 71m, 56m hub
max 54 db
sound pressure at windfarm center250m
Development of windfarm design & impacts
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
2018: Vestas V 136 - 3.45MWø 136m, 149m hub
max 47 db
- 50% sound pressure!
600 - 1000m
less barrier effects
Development of windfarm design & impacts
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Displacement of habitat utilisation INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
Germany: > 50% displacement of churring males (at windfarm area + 150m)
KAATZ ET AL. 2007, KAATZ ET AL. 2010, KAATZ 2014
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
-
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
• Construction start: autumn 2006
• 31 turbines in open heathland
• Enercon E-70– 2.3MW
• Hub height: 56m
• Ø 71m
• min turbine distance: 250m
Heidehof WFEastern Germany
250m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Churring males after 6 years
• 100% decrease in WF area
• 30% increase in 150 - 1,000m
Heidehof WFEastern Germany
Mode of windfarm Reports of churring males
windfarm 150 – 1000m
Pre-construction(2006)
10 13
1st year 1 26
5th year 4 26
6th year 0 18
250m
Suboptimal, encircling windfarm design:Small turbines and small min. distances
Significant displacement of song territories
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Displacement of habitat utilisation INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
Germany: > 50% displacement of churring males (at windfarm area + 150m)
KAATZ ET AL. 2007, KAATZ ET AL. 2010, KAATZ 2014
Sweden: No effect, moderate decline (20%) and 60% increase
of churring males within windfarm areas
RYDELL ET AL. 2017
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
±
-
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
• Construction start: autumn 2010
• 6 turbines
• Nordex N90 – 2.5MW
• Hub height: 100m
• Ø 90m
• min turbine distance: 780m
Brattön WFMunkedal (Sweden)
780m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Churring males within 6 years ofoperation
• up to 60% increase in WF area
Brattön WFMunkedal (Sweden)
780m
Operation phase Reports of churringmales at windfarm
Pre-construction (2009) 6
4th year 8 – 10
5th year 4 – 5
6th year 7
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Displacement of habitat utilisation INCONSISTENT RESULTS!
Germany: > 50% displacement of churring males (at windfarm area + 150m)
KAATZ ET AL. 2007, KAATZ ET AL. 2010, KAATZ 2014
Sweden: No effect, moderate decline (20%) and 60% increase
of churring males within windfarm areas
RYDELL ET AL. 2017
Wales: Constant breeding success and number of breeding territories
at three modern windfarms
SHEWRING 2019A, 2019B (long-term radio-tagging)
Potential wind energy impacts on the Nightjar
±
-
±
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
BIOME: CASE STUDY in Kaliakra (Bulgaria) (2019 IN PREP.)
no pre-construction data! (built 2008)
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Kaliakra WFKavarna (Bulgaria)
• Operating since 2008
• 35 turbines in steppe-habitat
• 1MW
• Hub height: 69m
• Ø 61m
• min turbine distance: 200m
• BUT: line distance >600m !
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Despite poor habitat quality at WF site:
after 11 years of operation
churring males within a 200m distance
flight movements towards
turbines at < 100m distance
Kaliakra WFKavarna (Bulgaria)
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Minimum distances to wind turbines
< 60m
< 100m
Radio-tagging results:regular surveillance of hunting flights between turbinesTHERKILDSEN 2017
multiple reports of nesting sites within a 60 m rangeSHEWRING 2019B
churring siteswithin a 100 m range
RYDELL ET AL. 2017, BIOME REPORT IN PREP.
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Disturbance model scheme
linear windfarm design
minimised disturbance
encircling windfarm design
Accumulatingmulti-directional effects!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Operating windfarm impacts on nightjarspermanent displacement (churring & nesting)permanent displacemet (churring) displacement at high noise level (churring)precautionary zoneConcentration of displaced individuals
Nightjar disturbance model
Input:
aerial images of wind farms and spatial data from acoustic and telemetric observations
Output:
Spatial pattern of disturbancepotential
600m
200m
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Conclusio
200 - 250m (500m) safety range recommendations are based on
dense/noisy windfarm designs
Data from modern windfarms indicates a
100m safety range to be sufficient for churring males!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Conclusio
Displacement effects on flight movements and breeding sites seem to beinsignificant!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
Recommendations
Avoid noisy turbine types and dense windfarm designs!
Apply minimised disturbance windfarm designs at critical sites!
Keep a precautionary distance of 100m to churring sites!
28.08.2019Dr. Andreas Traxler: Modelling key factors of nightjar avoidance behavior at wind farms across Europe
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