Texas Project
OA 91: NWI SWiFT Bird Environmental Study
October 2019 - September 2022
Personnel
Participating Agencies
- DOE - Sandia National Laboratories
Sandia National Laboratories and Texas Tech University have partnered to initiate wind energy research with scaled wind turbines at a Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility. However, a component of permitting for this site is research and monitoring of the local avian community to assess immediate and long-term influences of the facility.
Wind energy is a clean form of energy but the negative influences through direct mortality and/or habitat displacement are not well understood.
We are collaborating with Texas Tech University to conduct this study.
Our research is aimed at assessing direct mortality of volant species due to wind turbines, but also long term trends in occupancy and, for select species, survival and productivity of resident and migrant grassland species.
| Presentations | Presentation Date |
|---|---|
| Harris, J.R., and C.W. Boal. 2020. Comparative Productivity of American Kestrels in a Nest Box Program and Natural Nests in Lubbock County, Texas. Meeting of the Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Corpus Christi, TX, 14 February 2020. | February 2020 |
| Harris, J.R., and C.W. Boal. 2019. Seasonal and annual variation in raptor species presence and abundance in the southern Great Plains of Texas. Annual Meeting of the Texas Chapter of The Wildlife Society, Montgomery, TX, 20-23 February 2019 | November 2019 |
| Boal, C.W., M.A. Thornley, and S.D. Mullican. American Kestrel food habits: surprises and unintended consequences of conservation actions. 2019 Meeting of The Raptor Research Foundation, Fort Collins, CO. | November 2019 |