Improving the detection and estimation of birds' collision risk with energy infrastructure
My project aims to reduce the risk posed by energy infrastructure to large birds with particular focus upon white storks Ciconia ciconia. On the Iberian peninsula this species is particularly vulnerable to collisions with power lines and other energy infrastructure; as demand for new renewable energy developments increases to help combat climate change it will become increasingly more important to understand where and when birds are at greatest risk of collision with new and existing infrastructure. Under the supervision of the White stork project team lead by Dr Aldina Franco a UEA, I will be fitting the latest GPS trackers to individual white storks; this will allow almost unprecedented understanding of the movements and behaviour of this species in relation to energy infrastructure and highlight where the collision risk hot spots are within Portugal and Southern Spain.