A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Habitat use of flying subadult White-tailed Eagles (Haliaeetus albicilla): implications for land use and wind power plant planning
Authors: Tikkanen Hannu, Balotari-Chiebao Fabio, Laaksonen Toni, Pakanen Ville-Matti, Rytkönen Seppo
Publisher: Suomen lintutieteellinen yhdistys
Publication year: 2018
Journal: Ornis Fennica
Journal name in source: ORNIS FENNICA
Journal acronym: ORNIS FENNICA
Volume: 95
Issue: 4
First page : 137
Last page: 150
Number of pages: 14
ISSN: 0030-5685
Abstract
Large-scale construction of wind power plants may threaten large raptors at both individual and population levels. The most efficient way to prevent the negative effects of wind power plants is to avoid building on presumably high-risk sites, which requires an understanding of the movement patterns and habitat use of vulnerable species. The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is vulnerable to wind energy in terms of both collision mortality and displacement due to disturbance. We used satellite transmitters to study the movements of juvenile and sub-adult White-tailed Eagles. We developed a Resource Selection Function (RSF) to model their habitat use at the Finnish coast, which holds about 80% of all planned and constructed wind power plants in the country. In addition, we made a collision risk assessment by calculating how likely areas are to be visited by a flying White-tailed Eagle at both planned and existing wind-farm areas. Our resource selection model predicted 83% of the observations correctly. We found that sub-adult White-tailed Eagles preferred areas close to their natal sites, the coastline and archipelagos. They avoided the open sea, urban areas and other constructed areas such as cottages, industrial areas and agricultural fields. The White-tailed Eagles flew lower over the sea (median 20 m) than over land (median 80 m), and time spent flying at risk heights (50-200 meters) was greater over land (28%) than over the sea (19%). Due to preferences for different habitat types and varying flight heights, our estimates of relative collision risks differed up to 1,000-fold at the Finnish coast. This illustrates the power of our resource selection model, which can be used to model White-tailed Eagle flying behaviour and habitat use in any given area and provide useful information for landscape planning when searching for the safest areas for wind-energy development.
Large-scale construction of wind power plants may threaten large raptors at both individual and population levels. The most efficient way to prevent the negative effects of wind power plants is to avoid building on presumably high-risk sites, which requires an understanding of the movement patterns and habitat use of vulnerable species. The White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) is vulnerable to wind energy in terms of both collision mortality and displacement due to disturbance. We used satellite transmitters to study the movements of juvenile and sub-adult White-tailed Eagles. We developed a Resource Selection Function (RSF) to model their habitat use at the Finnish coast, which holds about 80% of all planned and constructed wind power plants in the country. In addition, we made a collision risk assessment by calculating how likely areas are to be visited by a flying White-tailed Eagle at both planned and existing wind-farm areas. Our resource selection model predicted 83% of the observations correctly. We found that sub-adult White-tailed Eagles preferred areas close to their natal sites, the coastline and archipelagos. They avoided the open sea, urban areas and other constructed areas such as cottages, industrial areas and agricultural fields. The White-tailed Eagles flew lower over the sea (median 20 m) than over land (median 80 m), and time spent flying at risk heights (50-200 meters) was greater over land (28%) than over the sea (19%). Due to preferences for different habitat types and varying flight heights, our estimates of relative collision risks differed up to 1,000-fold at the Finnish coast. This illustrates the power of our resource selection model, which can be used to model White-tailed Eagle flying behaviour and habitat use in any given area and provide useful information for landscape planning when searching for the safest areas for wind-energy development.
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