Bird Survival in Wind Farms by Monte‐Carlo Simulation Modelling Based on Wide‐Ranging Flight Tracking Data of Multiple Birds During Different Seasons

Wind energy development is a key component for transition to sustainable clean energy. Collision probability depends on turbine dimensions. The avoidance rate in most of the species indicates a low collision probability. How this probability varies according to the dimensions of wind turbine and production capacity respectively are important questions when EIA must be performed in future and existing wind farm territories. We applied a simulation approach based on flight height distributions of middle size diurnal raptor species. To obtain accurate flight height data in different life cycle periods, we used long term GPS tracking data from an area with over 200 operating wind turbines. Our model species had unimodal flight height distribution in the period of breed-ing, wintering and a higher mode of flight altitudes in migration periods. As the poten-tial collision probability varied between seasons, wind energy planning should consid-er the composition of the local bird community to optimize mitigation measures. Our carcass searches data supported low collision probability for common buzzards. This optimistic result may indicate fast habituation process of middle size diurnal rapport species such as common buzzards to the changes in environment related to wind power projects.