• Energy Research

The full methodology to produce this data is described in Gauld et al. (2022) Hotspots in the grid: avian sensitivity and vulnerability to collision risk from energy infrastructure interactions in Europe and north Africa, Journal of Applied Ecology In brief: 65 Bird movement datasets containing high resolution GPS tracking data were downloaded from the www.movebank.org repository in April of 2019. These data were processed to remove locations associated with poor GPS accuracy and code locations in flight as present within a danger height band for wind turbines (15 - 135m above ground), Transmission Powerlines (10 - 60m above ground) or not. All datasets were combined into a single dataframe. This was overlaid onto a 5 x 5km fishnet grid covering Europe and North Africa, each grid cell had a unique NID value. For each species present within a given grid cell, the proportions of GPS locations in flight at danger height for the two danger height bands were calculated and weighted for uncertainty using the Wilson Confidence Interval, the resulting value for each grid cell was multiplied by the MBRCI (Morpho-Behavioural Conservation Status Risk Index) value to produce a sensitivity score for each species present in each grid cell where sufficient tracking data is available. To produce the family level sensitivity surface, the maximum sensitivity score of any species within a given family in a given grid cell is used. To produce the combined sensitivity surface, the maximum sensitivity score of any species within a given grid cell is used. The seasonal surfaces were produced in the same manner but calculated separately for Breeding and Non-Breeding periods. The vulnerability surface was produced by overlaying the sensitivity scores onto the density of either wind turbines or power lines in each grid cell. Grid cells were then categorised according to vulnerability by quantiles so Very Low: <0.025 percentile Low: 0.025 <0.25 percentile Moderate: 0.25 < 0.75 Percentile High: 0.75 < 0.975 Percentile Very High: >0.975 Percentile and No Data where GPS tracking data was not present. Wind turbine and power line densities were derived from the best available continental scale data at the time of the analysis. The accuracy of these datasets is discussed extensively in the supporting information of the paper. Raw data was processed in R, QGIS and ArcMap Wind turbines and power lines can cause bird mortality due to collision or electrocution. The biodiversity impacts of energy infrastructure (EI) can be minimised through effective landscape-scale planning and mitigation. The identification of high-vulnerability areas is urgently needed to assess potential cumulative impacts of EI while supporting the transition to zero-carbon energy. We collected GPS location data from 1,454 birds from 27 species susceptible to collision within Europe and North Africa and identified areas where tracked birds are most at risk of colliding with existing EI. Sensitivity to EI development was estimated for wind turbines and power lines by calculating the proportion of GPS flight locations at heights where birds were at risk of collision and accounting for species’ specific susceptibility to collision. We mapped the maximum collision sensitivity value obtained across all species, in each 5x5 km grid cell, across Europe and North Africa. Vulnerability to collision was obtained by overlaying the sensitivity surfaces with density of wind turbines and transmission power lines. Results: Exposure to risk varied across the 27 species, with some species flying consistently at heights where they risk collision. For areas with sufficient tracking data within Europe and North Africa, 13.6% of the area was classified as high sensitivity to wind turbines and 9.4% was classified as high sensitivity to transmission power lines. Sensitive areas were concentrated within important migratory corridors and along coastlines. Hotspots of vulnerability to collision with wind turbines and transmission power lines (2018 data) were scattered across the study region with highest concentrations occurring in central Europe, near the strait of Gibraltar and the Bosporus in Turkey. Synthesis and Applications: We identify the areas of Europe and North Africa that are most sensitive for the specific populations of birds for which sufficient GPS tracking data at high spatial resolution were available. We also map vulnerability hotspots where mitigation at existing EI should be prioritised to reduce collision risks. As tracking data availability improves our method could be applied to more species and areas to help reduce bird-EI conflicts. The results here are intended to provide a continental scale guide to where the collision risk hotspots are for the tracked birds used in the analysis and help guide further wind farms and power line development away from the higher risk areas for birds. It is important not to assume that areas where we do not have tracking data are free from risk, therefore this analysis does not remove the need for more local scale investigations into the ecological impact of a proposed development. 

Human-induced direct mortality affects huge numbers of birds each year, threatening hundreds of species worldwide. Tracking technologies can be an important tool to investigate temporal and spatial patterns of bird mortality as well as their drivers. We compiled 1704 mortality records from tracking studies across the African-Eurasian flyway for 45 species, including raptors, storks, and cranes, covering the period from 2003 to 2021. Our results show a higher frequency of human-induced causes of mortality than natural causes across taxonomic groups, geographical areas, and age classes. Moreover, we found that the frequency of human-induced mortality remained stable over the study period. From the human-induced mortality events with a known cause (n = 637), three main causes were identified: electrocution (40.5 %), illegal killing (21.7 %), and poisoning (16.3 %). Additionally, combined energy infrastructure-related mortality (i.e., electrocution, power line collision, and wind-farm collision) represented 49 % of all human-induced mortality events. Using a random forest model, the main predictors of human-induced mortality were found to be taxonomic group, geographic location (latitude and longitude), and human footprint index value at the location of mortality. Despite conservation efforts, human drivers of bird mortality in the African-Eurasian flyway do not appear to have declined over the last 15 years for the studied group of species. Results suggest that stronger conservation actions to address these threats across the flyway can reduce their impacts on species. In particular, projected future development of energy infrastructure is a representative example where application of planning, operation, and mitigation measures can enhance bird conservation. This work was funded by the MAVA Foundation trough the MAVA Safe Flyways Energy project, specifically the M7 Birds – Reducing mortality of migratory birds and vultures in the Mediterranean 2016–2022.

Abstract Wind turbines and power lines can cause bird mortality due to collision or electrocution. The biodiversity impacts of energy infrastructure (EI) can be minimised through effective landscape‐scale planning and mitigation. The identification of high‐vulnerability areas is urgently needed to assess potential cumulative impacts of EI while supporting the transition to zero carbon energy. We collected GPS location data from 1,454 birds from 27 species susceptible to collision within Europe and North Africa and identified areas where tracked birds are most at risk of colliding with existing EI. Sensitivity to EI development was estimated for wind turbines and power lines by calculating the proportion of GPS flight locations at heights where birds were at risk of collision and accounting for species' specific susceptibility to collision. We mapped the maximum collision sensitivity value obtained across all species, in each 5 × 5 km grid cell, across Europe and North Africa. Vulnerability to collision was obtained by overlaying the sensitivity surfaces with density of wind turbines and transmission power lines. Results: Exposure to risk varied across the 27 species, with some species flying consistently at heights where they risk collision. For areas with sufficient tracking data within Europe and North Africa, 13.6% of the area was classified as high sensitivity to wind turbines and 9.4% was classified as high sensitivity to transmission power lines. Sensitive areas were concentrated within important migratory corridors and along coastlines. Hotspots of vulnerability to collision with wind turbines and transmission power lines (2018 data) were scattered across the study region with highest concentrations occurring in central Europe, near the strait of Gibraltar and the Bosporus in Turkey. Synthesis and applications. We identify the areas of Europe and North Africa that are most sensitive for the specific populations of birds for which sufficient GPS tracking data at high spatial resolution were available. We also map vulnerability hotspots where mitigation at existing EI should be prioritised to reduce collision risks. As tracking data availability improves our method could be applied to more species and areas to help reduce bird‐EI conflicts.

Le fichier de données source contient des données pour tracer les figures 1,2 et 3 et les figures supplémentaires S1, S3 à S12 et le tableau supplémentaire S1. Les données supplémentaires contiennent les données sur les caractères de l'espèce. Des références pour les sources de données peuvent être trouvées dans la feuille séparée. Les traits à noter ont été rassemblés pour 378 espèces d'oiseaux nicheurs européens, mais les données sur l'étendue de l'habitat n'étaient disponibles que pour 336 espèces. Les sources de données sur les espèces se trouvent dans l'onglet Références. El archivo de datos de origen contiene datos para trazar las Figuras 1,2 y 3, y las Figuras Complementarias S1, S3 -S12 y la Tabla Complementaria S1. Los datos complementarios contienen datos de rasgos de las especies. Las referencias de las fuentes de datos se pueden encontrar en la hoja separada. Los rasgos de la nota se recopilaron para 378 especies de aves reproductoras europeas, pero los datos de amplitud del hábitat solo estaban disponibles para 336 especies. Las fuentes de datos de especies se pueden encontrar en la pestaña Referencias. Source data file contains data for plotting Figures 1,2, and 3, and Supplementary Figures S1, S3 -S12, and Supplementary Table S1. Supplementary data contains species' trait data. References for data sources can be found in the separate sheet. Note traits were collated for 378 species of European breeding bird, but habitat breadth data were only available for 336 species. Sources of species data can be found in the References tab. يحتوي ملف البيانات المصدر على بيانات لرسم الأشكال 1 و 2 و 3 والأشكال التكميلية S1 و S3 - S12 والجدول التكميلي S1. تحتوي البيانات التكميلية على بيانات سمات الأنواع. يمكن العثور على مراجع لمصادر البيانات في الورقة المنفصلة. تم جمع سمات الملاحظة لـ 378 نوعًا من طيور التكاثر الأوروبية، لكن بيانات اتساع الموائل كانت متاحة فقط لـ 336 نوعًا. يمكن العثور على مصادر بيانات الأنواع في علامة التبويب المراجع.