U.S. Department of Energy Awards National Aviary $85,000 Grant

Funds Will Support Detailed Study of Golden Eagle Migration, Examine Potential Collision with New Wind Power Sites, Development

(PITTSBURGH -- May 10, 2010) -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the National Aviary’s Department of Conservation & Field Research an $85,000 grant to fund a detailed, multi-year study of the potential impacts of wind energy development in Pennsylvania on migratory patterns and flight behaviors of eastern golden eagles.

Using data collected via locally developed, high-frequency GPS telemetry systems that track the birds’ location, altitude and flight speed, researchers will identify not only their path, but also how individual migrating golden eagles move in relation to landscapes and topography in Pennsylvania. Eagles have already been trapped in West Virginia, Virginia and Pennsylvania, and outfitted with telemetry devices. This current phase of study uses these data to models migration, to predict which wind turbines will impact eagles that move through the region, and to identify how turbines can be constructed that do not impact these majestic birds.

Research will be led by Dr. Todd Katzner, National Aviary director of conservation and field research, in collaboration with David Brandes, Ph.D., Lafayette College; Robert Brooks, Ph.D., The Pennsylvania State University; Charles Maisonneuve, M.S., Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune (Quebec); Andrew Mack, Ph.D., Carnegie Museum of Natural History; Tricia Miller, M.S., Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Pennsylvania State University; and Michael Lanzone, Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

“Understanding the relationship between flight behavior, topography and meteorology is essential to determining the relative risk to eagles from different types of wind power development,” says Dr. Katzner. “Earlier research has shown that golden eagle migration through Pennsylvania is not random; rather, the vast majority of these birds apparently move northward through a narrow corridor 30-60 miles wide, between the Allegheny Front and the Kittatinny Ridge in the western and central part of the state. This narrow bottleneck is also an area of key importance for wind power development.

“As a direct consequence of their consistent migration behavior, the fate of eastern golden eagle populations depends on appropriate management of the comparatively small but crucially important areas of habitat the birds use when passing through Pennsylvania every spring and fall. This region has a unique opportunity to play a leading role in conservation of this nationally and internationally protected bird and in protecting the many other species of conservation concern that use similar migratory airspace.”

Results from this research, in the form of recommendations on how to mitigate the impact of wind power development on golden eagles and other raptors that migrate through the Appalachian region, will be shared with the DOE, as well as state and federal agencies.

“The importance of the central Appalachian region for both wind power and for golden eagles means that our ability to develop bird-friendly wind energy depends on our capacity to make responsible and informed decisions about wind turbines on these migration pathways. Our models will predict which Appalachian terrain is and is not appropriate for development of raptor-friendly wind farms. It is our hope that by sharing the results of our work with DOE as well as state and federal regulatory agencies and wind energy development corporations, we will assist development of bird-friendly wind power.

The DOE grant to the National Aviary is part of a $3 million DOE investment to advance the work of 16 institutions doing wind power research, including several colleges and universities.

To learn more about the National Aviary’s golden eagle project and other conservation efforts, log on to http://www.aviary.org/cons/main_csrv.php