Date:         Mon, 11 Jun 2007 10:21:00 -0500
Reply-To:     Robert_Russell@FWS.GOV
Sender:       Shorebird Discussion Group <SHOREBIRDS@LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
From:         Robert Russell <Robert_Russell@FWS.GOV>
Subject:      American Golden-plovers and wind farms
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

I'm attending an upcoming Indiana meeting for a proposed windfarm
development in what I believe is the world's largest spring staging ground
for American Golden-plover.  Spring counts by the contract biologist found
14,000+ birds in just a few townships and previous studies are consistent
with those numbers.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service supports wind power
as clean energy but stresses that proper siting is paramount and
pre-construction monitoring and post-construction monitoring are necessary
elements for any such project.  I am not so much worried about the birds
hitting the turbine blades although it is likely some will perish that way
arriving and departing.  I am more worried that the plovers will avoid this
area altogether much like prairie lek species avoid wind towers.  Plovers
like very open landscapes and the presence of several hundred towers may
appear to be trees (potentially harboring avian predators) to the birds.
Does anyone know of any studies that show avoidance of towers by
shorebirds?  Thanks, Bob Russell, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Region 3,
Minnesota