High passage rates and different seasonal migration strategies of birds along the lower Texas coast

Walsh, Suzanne Contreras; Ballard, Bart M.; Wester, David B.; Kuvlesky, William P.; Brennan, Leonard A.; Morrison, Michael L.; Boydston, Kathy K.

doi:10.5897/ijbc2016.1046

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…Observations of avoidance behaviour, using a combination of radar and camera observations, with consistent survey methods, can provide data to examine taxon‐specific changes at a site before and after construction, and allow comparisons with control sites (Skov et al, 2012). Weather radars have been used to track the departure of migratory shorebirds and the migration routes of land birds (Lane & Jessop, 1985; Sivakumar et al, 2021; Tulp et al, 1994; Walsh et al, 2017; Weisshaupt et al, 2018). The existing network of these weather radar stations around Australia provides a potential resource for tracking birds around Australia's coastline, including across Bass and Torres Straits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ecological risk assessment for the impacts of offshore wind farms on birds in Australia

2023

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An ecological risk assessment, based on life-history and behavioural attributes of 273 bird taxa, was used to identify which of those taxa are at high risk from negative interactions with offshore wind farms in Australia. The marine area of Australia was divided by state/territory boundaries perpendicular to the coast into eight regions, with Western Australia further divided into north and south, and a Bass Strait region bounded by the Victoria coast and the north coast of Tasmania. These regions were subdivided into coastal, inshore and offshore sub-regions and a risk summary for all bird taxa occurring in each of these sub-regions produced. In coastal and inshore sub-regions of Bass Strait, South Australia and Tasmania, the species with the highest risk scores were Orangebellied Parrot Neophema chrysogaster, Furneaux White-fronted Tern Sterna striata incerta, Swift Parrot Lathamus discolor, Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta, Far Eastern Curlew Numenius madagascariensis and Anadyr Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica anadyrensis. In offshore sub-regions in southern Australia, the highest risk species were all albatrosses, comprising Northern Royal Diomedea sanfordi, Eastern Antipodean D. antipodensis antipodensis, Gibson's D. antipodensis gibsoni, Wandering D. exulans, Amsterdam D. amsterdamensis and Grey-headed Albatross T. chrysostoma. Compared to onshore installations, there are logistical challenges to quantifying the potential and realized impacts of offshore wind farms that require different approaches to data collection and analyses. The extensive development of offshore wind farms in the Northern Hemisphere provides examples of best and emerging approaches to quantify and mitigate negative impacts of offshore wind farms that can be applied in an Australian context. Despite differences in the species involved, the same approaches to identifying high-risk species and to the monitoring and mitigation of negative impacts should be applied in a coordinated, regional-scale approach to the development of offshore wind farms in Australia.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An ecological risk assessment for the impacts of offshore wind farms on birds in Australia

2023

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“…Of the 338 Nearctic-Neotropical migrant bird species occurring in North America, 98.5% have been recorded in Texas (Shackelford et al, 2005). Texas offers crucial stopover points for migratory birds; many follow marshes on the coast and playas in far North Texas as they take their annual roundtrip journey between their wintering and breeding grounds (Smith et al, 2004b;Shackelford et al, 2005;Contreras Walsh et al, 2017;Fern & Morrison, 2017). Birds are highly effective indicators of environmental well-being and overall ecosystem health (Burger & Gochfeld, 2004).…”

Section: Wildlifementioning

confidence: 99%

The State of Texas Wetlands: A Review of Current and Future Challenges

Fern,

Baron,

England

et al. 2023

Tex. Wat. Jour.

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With roughly 3.9 million acres of wetlands, 2.3% of its total land area, Texas has the fifth largest wetland acreage in the United States. As of 1990, there was an estimated 52% reduction in the state's original wetland acreage, but there has been no recent assessment of statewide wetland loss or gain since then. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services, including wildlife habitat, flood storage and control, aquifer recharge, water quality improvement, and pollutant breakdown and storage of greenhouse gasses as well as human recreational opportunities including boating, paddling, fishing, hunting, birdwatching, hiking, and nature photography. Texas wetlands face intensifying challenges in the coming decades. Regulatory and legislative action should be forward-facing, anticipating effects of climate change, sea level rise, and urban expansion. Incorporating new technologies will allow for more timely and cost-efficient large-scale monitoring of wetland loss and gain. The residents of Texas are largely in support of active management of the state’s water resources; academic institutions, state and federal agencies, and conservation-minded private entities should work together to ensure the wetlands of Texas persist for wildlife and the generations to come.

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Impacts of wind turbines on redheads in the Laguna Madre

2018

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Freshwater ponds adjacent to the Laguna Madre along the lower Texas coast provide an important and heavily used source of fresh water for the redhead (Aythya americana) throughout winter. A 267‐turbine wind farm was constructed within the core wintering area of the redhead on a private ranch along the western coast of the Laguna Madre, in 2010. Our objective was to investigate the effects of this wind farm on the habitat and potential displacement of redheads and their use of coastal ponds along the lower Texas coast. We conducted weekly aerial surveys to monitor coastal pond use by wintering redheads from mid‐October through mid‐March during pre‐construction (2000–2003) and post‐construction (2012–2014) of the wind farm. Pond availability and Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) within the wind farm were significantly correlated during pre‐construction (n = 16, R2 = 0.53, P = 0.035) and post‐construction (n = 11, R2 = 0.64, P = 0.003). However, the number of ponds available at each PDSI level within the wind farm decreased during post‐construction (paired t = 3.2, n = 5, P = 0.033). The average number of redheads detected per survey on coastal ponds within the wind farm decreased by 77% from pre‐construction to post‐construction. Redhead abundance on ponds across the entire Laguna Madre increased by an average of 3.26 times between pre‐construction and post‐construction, partly due to increases in the continental redhead population. It appears that the wind farm has altered the use of coastal ponds by redheads during winter. Future wind farm placement along the lower Texas coast should consider coastal pond distribution and the dynamics of redhead use between coastal ponds and foraging areas in the Laguna Madre. © 2018 The Wildlife Society.

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High passage rates and different seasonal migration strategies of birds along the lower Texas coast

Cited by 6 publications

References 46 publications

An ecological risk assessment for the impacts of offshore wind farms on birds in Australia

An ecological risk assessment for the impacts of offshore wind farms on birds in Australia

The State of Texas Wetlands: A Review of Current and Future Challenges

Impacts of wind turbines on redheads in the Laguna Madre

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