Golden Eagle fatalities and the continental‐scale consequences of local wind‐energy generation

Katzner, Todd E.; Nelson, David M.; Braham, Melissa A.; Doyle, Jacqueline; Fernandez, Nadia B.; Duerr, Adam E.; Bloom, Peter H.; Fitzpatrick, Matthew C.; Miller, Tricia A.; Culver, Renee C. E.; Braswell, Loan; DeWoody, J. Andrew

doi:10.1111/cobi.12836

Cited by 54 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…comm.). However, recent genetic and isotopes analyses of eagles killed in the APWR suggest this nesting season population may be sustained by immigration [70]. Including immigrants in breeding season surveys could indicate a stable breeding population, but mask high incidence of local mortality for nesting birds and fail to reveal source—sink population dynamics [71,72].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) from Three Areas in Western North America; Initial Results and Conservation Implications

Craig¹,

Adams

Waits

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

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Understanding the genetics of a population is a critical component of developing conservation strategies. We used archived tissue samples from golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) in three geographic regions of western North America to conduct a preliminary study of the genetics of the North American subspecies, and to provide data for United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) decision-making for golden eagle management. We used a combination of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequences and 16 nuclear DNA (nDNA) microsatellite loci to investigate the extent of gene flow among our sampling areas in Idaho, California and Alaska and to determine if we could distinguish birds from the different geographic regions based on their genetic profiles. Our results indicate high genetic diversity, low genetic structure and high connectivity. Nuclear DNA Fst values between Idaho and California were low but significantly different from zero (0.026). Bayesian clustering methods indicated a single population, and we were unable to distinguish summer breeding residents from different regions. Results of the mtDNA AMOVA showed that most of the haplotype variation (97%) was within the geographic populations while 3% variation was partitioned among them. One haplotype was common to all three areas. One region-specific haplotype was detected in California and one in Idaho, but additional sampling is required to determine if these haplotypes are unique to those geographic areas or a sampling artifact. We discuss potential sources of the high gene flow for this species including natal and breeding dispersal, floaters, and changes in migratory behavior as a result of environmental factors such as climate change and habitat alteration. Our preliminary findings can help inform the USFWS in development of golden eagle management strategies and provide a basis for additional research into the complex dynamics of the North American subspecies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) from Three Areas in Western North America; Initial Results and Conservation Implications

Craig¹,

Adams

Waits

et al. 2016

PLoS ONE

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“…More research is also needed to explore how electrocutions in a localized area affect eagle populations regionally. For example, a study of golden eagle mortalities from turbine collisions at a wind energy facility in California used genetic and stable isotope methods to confirm eagles were not just from the local Pacific Flyway EMU (AZ, CA, NV, OR) but also originated from the adjacent Central Flyway EMU (ID, CO, NM, WY), and possibly from more distant locations (Katzner et al ). In preparation for connecting individual electrocution mortalities to source populations throughout North America, the USFWS has begun collecting genetic and isotopic material from all fresh golden eagle carcasses.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review and synthesis of research investigating golden eagle electrocutions

et al. 2018

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Golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) electrocution on power poles is a global conservation problem with an estimated 504 eagles electrocuted annually in North America alone. Despite widespread use of mitigation techniques to retrofit existing poles and to build new poles to avian‐friendly standards, electrocution remains a leading anthropogenic cause of death for the golden eagle. To assist electric utilities, wildlife managers, and the public in understanding eagle electrocution risk, we reviewed and synthesized risk factors and mitigation techniques from published literature from 1940 to 2016. Eagles have 8 electrocution risk factors: pole design, eagle age, morphology, land cover and topography, prey availability, season, weather, and behavior. Pole configuration was the most frequently identified electrocution risk factor and electrocution incidents were most often associated with distribution level (<69 kV) equipment poles. Age was the second most frequently identified risk factor, with juvenile eagles electrocuted at approximately twice the rate of subadults or adults. Risk was also associated with large body size, high‐quality habitat, high prey density, winter dispersal, inclement weather, and intraspecific interactions. Risk modeling based on these factors may assist electric utilities and other stakeholders in identification of high‐risk poles at the regional scale. High‐risk poles need prioritization for retrofitting by electric utilities. Compensatory mitigation funding becoming available through eagle take permitting may be useful in offsetting costs to utilities. Electrocution mitigation efforts strategized by region to target high‐risk poles could result in substantial reductions of golden eagle annual mortalities. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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“…, Katzner et al. ). Nevertheless, large numbers of other species are also affected by wind turbine strikes (ICF International , Thaxter et al.…”

Section: Applicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Katzner et al. ) or a specific site (Smallwood and Thelander , Desholm ) and thus are difficult to generalize across taxa, regions, and time periods.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing population‐level consequences of anthropogenic stressors for terrestrial wildlife

et al. 2020

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Human activity influences wildlife. However, the ecological and conservation significances of these influences are difficult to predict and depend on their population-level consequences. This difficulty arises partly because of information gaps, and partly because the data on stressors are usually collected in a count-based manner (e.g., number of dead animals) that is difficult to translate into rate-based estimates important to infer population-level consequences (e.g., changes in mortality or population growth rates). However, ongoing methodological developments can provide information to make this transition. Here, we synthesize tools from multiple fields of study to propose an overarching, spatially explicit framework to assess population-level consequences of anthropogenic stressors on terrestrial wildlife. A key component of this process is using ecological information from affected animals to upscale from count-based field data on individuals to rate-based demographic inference. The five steps to this framework are (1) framing the problem to identify species, populations, and assessment parameters; (2) field-based measurement of the effect of the stressor on individuals; (3) characterizing the location and size of the populations of interest; (4) demographic modeling for those populations; and (5) assessing the significance of stressor-induced changes in demographic rates. The tools required for each of these steps are well developed, and some have been used in conjunction with each other, but the entire group has not previously been unified together as we do in this framework. We detail these steps and then illustrate their application for two species affected by different anthropogenic stressors. In our examples, we use stable hydrogen isotope data to infer a catchment area describing the geographic origins of affected individuals, as the basis to estimate population size for that area. These examples reveal unexpectedly greater potential risks from stressors for the more common and widely distributed species. This work illustrates key strengths of the framework but also important areas for subsequent theoretical and technical development to make it still more broadly applicable.

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Golden Eagle fatalities and the continental‐scale consequences of local wind‐energy generation

Cited by 54 publications

References 42 publications

Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) from Three Areas in Western North America; Initial Results and Conservation Implications

Nuclear and Mitochondrial DNA Analyses of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos canadensis) from Three Areas in Western North America; Initial Results and Conservation Implications

Review and synthesis of research investigating golden eagle electrocutions

Assessing population‐level consequences of anthropogenic stressors for terrestrial wildlife

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