Exposure of Whimbrels to offshore wind leases during departure from and arrival to a major mid-Atlantic staging site

Avian Conservation and Ecology

article

Bryan D. Watts¹  Chance Hines¹  Laura Duval¹  Alexandra L. Wilke³ 

[1] William and Mary;Center for Conservation Biology;The Nature Conservancy

关键词: Numenius phaeopus;    offshore wind;    outer continental shelf;    satellite tracking;    Western Atlantic Flyway;    Whimbrel;   

DOI  :  10.5751/ACE-02312-170231

学科分类：口腔科学

来源: Resilience Alliance Publications

【 摘 要 】

The United States is pursuing a diversified energy portfolio that includes offshore wind with a focus on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Western Atlantic Flyway (WAF) supports one of the largest near-shore movement corridors of birds in the world, including several shorebird species of high conservation concern. We used satellite transmitters to examine orientation of Whimbrels (Numenius phaeopus) crossing the OCS and their overlap with two wind energy leases. Birds using a migratory staging site along the Delmarva Peninsula in Virginia crossed the OCS along a southeast-northwest axis. A considerable percentage (42.9%) of tracks intersected with one of the two wind leases. The juxtaposition to the Delmarva Peninsula placed wind leases southeast of the peninsula within both the departure and arrival trajectories of Whimbrels. The satellite transmitters used in this study were not equipped with altitude sensors, so we do not know if birds crossed wind leases within the rotor swept zone. Several species of shorebirds, including hundreds of thousands of individuals, make trans-Atlantic flights from three major staging sites: Delaware Bay, the lower Delmarva Peninsula, and Georgia Bight. All of these sites have wind leases positioned to their southeast. One of the most effective strategies for minimizing conflicts between birds and potential hazards is to place hazards away from critical movement corridors. More information is needed about departure and arrival patterns of shorebirds that cross the OCS to inform future lease placement.

【 授权许可】

CC BY