Photo by V. Miller

Oct. 11, 2006

Saving Birds from Wind Turbines

For the Birds: Testing the Efficacy of Sonic and Ultrasonic Bird Deterrent Devices
Joanna Christine Guy, 14, Oakland, Md.
Finalist, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, 2006

Category: Zoology

While wind is an attractive source of clean and renewable energy, wind turbines threaten some bird and bat populations. Some sort of intervention is needed to steer these animals away from the turbines. In this experiment, Joanna tried to determine whether commercial sound devices are effective bird deterrents. She knew that high-frequency ultrasonic sound waves dissipate more rapidly than audible, lower-frequency sound waves do, especially in open areas. So, she hypothesized that a sonic-deterrent device would repel birds more effectively than an ultrasonic device.

To test her hypothesis, Joanna measured the amount of seed consumed by birds from a backyard feeder during a 40-day period under three conditions: (1) no sound deterrent installed for two 10-day control periods; (2) a sonic-deterrent device emitting an array of harassing sounds installed for 10 days; and (3) an ultrasonic deterrent installed for 10 days. A firm specializing in environmentally friendly bird-control systems loaned the ultrasonic equipment to Joanna for use in her experiment. Measurements of seed consumption were recorded during a 5-hour period each morning.

Photo by V. Miller

Joanna confirmed her hypothesis. The sonic-deterrent device repelled birds more effectively than the ultrasonic device did. This conclusion was validated by observational studies that recorded bird activity in the test area when no food was present.

Next, Joanna will test the efficacy of sonic devices on threatened species in wind-farm environments. If these studies confirm Joanna's findings, they could be incorporated into the design of bird- and bat-friendly wind turbines.

2005 DCYSC Project: What Do You Expect?
http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20060412/ScienceFairZone.asp

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