Leading Bird Conservation Group Formally Petitions Feds to Regulate Wind Industry

[OKIsItJustMe]

8. ”The government estimates that a minimum of 440,000 birds are currently killed each year…”

Do you wonder where that number comes from? (I sure did.)


I found this:
http://www.partnersinflight.org/pubs/McAllenProc/articles/PIF09_Anthropogenic%20Impacts/Manville_PIF09.pdf

[font face="Times, Serif"]Proceedings of the Fourth International
Partners in Flight Conference: Tundra to Tropics
262–272

[font size="5"]TOWERS, TURBINES, POWER LINES, AND BUILDINGS—STEPS BEING TAKEN BY THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TO AVOID OR MINIMIZE TAKE OF MIGRATORY BIRDS AT THESE STRUCTURES[/font]

[font size="4"]ALBERT M. MANVILLE, II[/font]

…

Commercial wind development in the U.S. continues to grow at an exponential rate. In 2007, the industry noted a >45% growth in turbine development (AWEA 2008), and in 2008, records were further broken with 50% growth (A WEA 2009) Operating turbines are referred to as “installed capacity,” generally measured in MW rather than in turbine numbers or turbine height and rotor swept area. By mid 2009, the U.S. had >29 440 MW of installed capacity (with 5866 under construction), lead by TX, IO, CA, MN, WA, OR, and NY in decreasing order of capacity (AWEA 2009). With slightly more than 23 000 turbines installed and operating on the landscape today, and more than 155 000 turbines projected to be operating by 2020 (AWEA 2008, M. Tuttle 2007 pers. comm., National Renewable Energy Laboratory 2007 estimate), the Service has serious concerns about current and potential impacts which continue to grow exponentially. From a wildlife perspective, however, there is some good news. With the exception of the continued high collision mortality of raptors, such as Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) and others—including passerines—at Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area, CA, and the death of Birds of Conservation Concern and Breeding Bird Survey declining species elsewhere, avian mortality is not particularly high, at least at the present time. While the wind industry currently estimates that turbines kill 58 000 birds per year in the U.S. (National Wind Coordinating Collaborative Wildlife Workgroup 2009 statistic), the Service estimates annual mortality at 440 000 birds (Manville 2005). This is based, in part, on inconsistencies in the duration and intensity of searches resulting in biases between search areas, the size of the search areas, failure to estimate mortality during peak periods of migration, impacts from wind wake turbulence and blade tip vortices, and biases from unaccounted crippling losses (after Huso 2008). Until a robust, scientifically rigorous cumulative impacts analysis is performed, we will not know with a high degree of certainly the true level of mortality. Admittedly, it still is relatively small. However, with high risk, wildlife-unfriendly sites being selected by wind proponents next to, for example, nesting Golden and Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephlus), and turbines placed on ridge lines where Golden Eagles and Peregrine Falcons (Falco peregrinus) migrate, Service concerns are elevated. Bats, unfortunately, represent a completely different situation based on the high documented take of bats in WV, PA, NY, OK, western Alberta, and elsewhere, and the apparent attraction of some tree roosting bats to tall structures such as hoary (Lasiurus cinereus) and eastern red bats (L. borealis) including turbines (P. Cryan, USGS bat specialist, 2009 pers. comm.). Add to this the impacts from white-nosed syndrome, a likely fungal disease hugely impacting hibernating bats in the East and Northeast, and turbine mortality could become additive (P. Cryan 2009 pers. comm.). However, mortality represents only one of three concerns regarding wind development—and all other anthropocentric impacts, for that matter. Indirect impacts from fragmentation, disturbance and site avoidance are also a huge concern for wildlife. With the exponential growth of industrial wind development, the issue has also become one of cumulative impacts and additive mortality.

…[/font]

OK, so putting things into perspective for a moment, we appear to be talking about ~23,000 turbines killing ~440,000 birds (~ 20 birds/turbine/year) which the author admits is “relatively small.”

But, what is Manville 2005?

http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/publications/documents/psw_gtr191/psw_gtr191_1051-1064_manville.pdf

[font face="Times, Serif"][font size="5"]Bird Strikes and Electrocutions at Power Lines, Communication Towers, and Wind Turbines: State of the Art and State of the Science – Next Steps Toward Mitigation[/font]

[font size="4"]Albert M. Manville, II[/font]

[font size="3"]Abstract[/font]

Migratory birds suffer considerable human-caused mortality from structures built to provide public services and amenities. Three such entities are increasing nationwide: communication towers, power lines, and wind turbines. Communication towers have been growing at an exponential rate over at least the past 6 years. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is especially concerned about growing impacts to some 836 species of migratory birds currently protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, as amended. While mortality estimates are often sketchy, and won’t be verified until nationwide cumulative impact studies are conducted, current figures are troubling. Communication towers may kill from 4-50 million birds per year. Collisions with power transmission and distribution lines may kill anywhere from hundreds of thousands to 175 million birds annually, and power lines electrocute tens to hundreds of thousands more birds annually, but these utilities are poorly monitored for both strikes and electrocutions. More than 15,000 wind turbines may kill 40,000 or more birds annually nationwide, the majority in California. This paper will address the commonalities of bird impacts among these industries; those bird species that tend to be most affected; and research (completed, current, and proposed) intended to reduce bird collisions and electrocutions nationwide. The issues of structure location (siting), lighting, guy supports, lattice or tubular structures, bird behavior, and habitat modifications are reviewed. In addition, this paper reviews the respective roles and publications of the Avian Power Line Interaction Committee and the Wildlife Workgroup of the National Wind Coordinating Committee, the roles of the Service-chaired Communication Tower Working Group and Wind Turbine Siting Working Group, and the Fish and Wildlife Services’ voluntary tower and turbine siting and placement guidelines. An update on recent Communication Tower Working Group research initiatives will also be discussed along with promising research findings and needs.

…[/font]

Wait a second, that says 15,000 turbines may kill 40,000 birds! (~3 birds/turbine/year) with the majority in California (i.e. at Altamont pass.)

This discrepancy confused me, because both papers are written by Albert M. Manville, II. However, if you go back and reread the first excerpt carefully, it appears he may be talking about 440,000 bird deaths for the 155,000 turbines projected to be operating in 2020. (i.e. ~3 birds/turbine/year)

In any case, the estimated number of turbine-caused bird deaths is dwarfed by the other causes.