Alternative methods to mitigate wind turbine collisions for vultures and other soaring birds

Goodwin, Warren

doi:10.4314/vulnew.v73i1.3

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 13 publications

(18 reference statements)

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“…Because of their considerable size, larger tracking devices can be used on vultures that can last multiple years and provide detailed datasets. Previous work has suggested that several environmental covariates may explain vulture movement patterns (Cone, 1962; Goodwin, 2017). As soaring birds with a high body mass, vultures rely on weather and habitat conditions to keep energy expenditure low while travelling substantial distances, favouring conditions that create thermal air currents and aid in flight (Duriez et al, 2014; Mandel et al, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combining models for animal tracking: Defining behavioural states to understand space use for conservation

Peters

Beale

Bracebridge

et al. 2022

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Rapid advances in technology have created tools able to explore how animals differ in their use of the environment based on behaviour, which can provide insights into the ecology of endangered animals and the threats they face. Though threatened, we know little of vultures' spatial ecology. We examine the external variables that affect vultures' decisions regarding space use, specifically during foraging and feeding when they are at greatest risk for encountering threats, and use this to inform effective conservation interventions. Location Tanzania, specifically Southern Tanzanian protected area networks. Taxon Gyps africanus. Methods We tracked 26 African white‐backed vultures between 2015 and 2019 in Southern Tanzania. Using hidden Markov models to identify behaviour from raw GPS points and point process models to spatially analyse these behaviours, we tested resource selection decisions in vultures during foraging and feeding, when they are at greatest risk of poisoning. Results African white‐backed vultures are most likely to forage early in the day outside National Parks, specifically in Game Reserves and Wildlife Management Areas, but avoid areas with high livestock numbers to feed. Eastern and Western populations showed slight differences in preferences, highlighting the need for population level considerations. When not selecting for behaviour, closeness to rivers and habitat openness were more important than protected area status for predicting vulture use. Main conclusions Through combining complex analyses, we identified results which simple statistical analyses could not offer. Hidden Markov models and point process models are complementary and can be used to define specific behaviours and associated resource selection. These results provide insight into how animals use their habitat explicitly rather than describing where they spend most of their time. This adds to the growing evidence that although National Parks are important, the management of surrounding areas must be included in conservation efforts.

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