A review of existing methods to collect data on seabird flight height distributions and their use in offshore wind farm impact assessments

A review of existing methods to collect data on seabird flight height distributions and their use in offshore wind farm impact assessments

BTO Research Report, 2025

Citation

Feather, A.P., Burton, N.H.K., Johnston, D.T. & Boersch-Supan, P.H. 2025. A review of existing methods to collect data on seabird flight height distributions and their use in offshore wind farm impact assessments. BTO Research Report 780: British Trust for Ornithology, Thetford, UK

Overview

This document presents a review of existing methods for collecting seabird flight height data and their potential to produce flight height distributions that might be used in CRMs. The strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of different methods are identified and sources of measurement and sampling error, uncertainty and bias assessed. Best practice recommendations are provided for prominent methods and how data might be best utilised to inform stakeholders is considered.