Bird’s Eye View: Ornithology for a nature-friendly energy transition

Webinar Overview

It is well documented that some bird species are subject to a mortality risk from collision with renewable energy infrastructure, including wind turbines and power lines. However, risk is not evenly distributed among all bird species, and the severity of the risk varies widely due to factors such as species-specific characteristics (morphology, behaviour), topography, climate and infrastructure types. In recent years, research into the sensory ecology of birds has brought to light important insights into how birds perceive the world and how this influences collision risk. Such research has important implications planning infrastructure to prevent collision risk and designing effective mitigation. Furthermore, collaboration between the scientific community, civil society and industry can be a key lever to safeguard sensitive avian populations.

In this joint webinar, organised by the Renewables Grid Initiative (RGI) and the Energy Task Force of the Convention on Migratory Species (convened by BirdLife International), we took a deep dive into the science of avian morphology and its relevance for mitigation of collision risk with power lines, as well as the role academia and civil society can play in supporting a nature-friendly energy transition. On Thursday 27^th June 2024, 14:00 – 15:30 CEST we entered into a discussion with experts on the state-of-the-art scientific knowledge and technological innovations.

Speakers included:

The webinar was moderated by Liam Innis, Senior Manager – Energy Ecosystems at RGI. Liam will present RGI’s upcoming global overview of research into the effectiveness of wire markers. Rhiannon Niven, Global Climate Change Policy Coordinator & Energy Task Force (ETF) Coordinator also presented the work of the ETF.