The purpose of this research was to
identify and monitor bird activity at two potential community wind farm
sites in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. After two months of studying the
birds at these sites, 42 bird species were observed at one site and 29
species at the other. All of the species at both sites were determined
to be breeding or potentially breeding.
None of these species were listed as federally or state threatened or
endangered. However, there were five species of conservational interest
and two species of regional rarity found at one site, and two
conservation interest and one regional rarity species found at the
other. Additionally, five species on Audubon’s 2007 “List of the Top 20
Birds With the Greatest Population Decline Since 1967” were found at
both sites.
View a sample report
Objectives
Two local farms in Cambria County, Pennsylvania
have been identified by the Saint Francis University Renewable Energy
Center’s ALP as potentially viable for wind energy development. The
overall environmental risks at these sites have not yet been
investigated, so the purpose of our study was to complete an assessment
of avian use—what bird species inhabit the sites, when they are present,
and how they are using the site (e.g., nesting, migrating, foraging).
This will help the landowners and developers to understand any drawbacks
to constructing a community-scale wind project on their farm. The data
collected will also provide a better understanding of the potential
effects a wind farm could have on certain bird species at a site—for
example, displacement of bird species from their breeding grounds.
Methodology
The methodology was developed in consultation with
Richard Curry of Curry & Kerlinger, a firm specializing in avian
assessments for the wind energy industry. Also utilized was the
Pennsylvania Game Commission’s Voluntary Agreement for Wind Energy
Developer.
The study took place on two local farms in Cambria
County, PA during the months of May and June 2007. Our sampling times
ranged from early morning to late at night. This was done to get a
well-rounded data set for all times of the day. Each site was assessed
prior to the initial study to determine how the site would be divided
into sub-sites. The first site, the larger of the two was divided into
seven sub-sites. They ranged from open grassland and farmland to wooded
areas and aquatic habitats (a stream and two ponds). The second site was
divided up into five different sub-sites. Four of them were in open
farm fields by the meteorological tower, and one was located in the
woods west of the tower.
On each sampling day, an “area-search”
method was used to study the site. For this method, we spent 30 minutes
at each sub-site identifying and studying as many birds as we could
during that time period. The observer then rotated to a new site. The
order of sub-site visited was varied to account for the time of day and
the number of observers. We also noted any nests that were found at the
sites. Bird species were determined to be breeding if they exhibited any
of the behaviors used by biologists to establish avian breeding status
for the Second Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas.