A Washington State University Vancouver researcher has helped develop a model aiming to predict the number of birds that would be killed by a wind farm if it’s built.
The study, led by WSUV assistant professor of statistics Leslie New, uses three basic parameters — hazardous footprint, bird exposure to turbines and collision probability — to develop a range for the number of fatalities expected at a given site. The research focused on golden eagles, a protected species, but could be applied to other species, New said.
The study was completed in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.