Responses of male Greater Prairie-Chickens to wind energy development

• Published in: The Condor (Los Angeles, Calif.) Calif.), 2015-05, Vol.117 (2), p.284-296
• Main Authors: Winder, Virginia L, Gregory, Andrew J, McNew, Lance B, Sandercock, Brett K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: behavioral avoidance; Birds; Body mass; Chickens; Climate change; ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE; Energy sources; Female animals; Global climate; Grasses; Grasslands; Grouse; Habitats; Land degradation; lek abandonment; male age; Male animals; Ornithology; Poultry; Renewable energy; Renewable resources; Turbines; Tympanuchus cupido; Wildlife; Wildlife conservation; Wildlife habitats; Wind power; wind turbine
• ISSN: 0010-5422; 1938-5129; 2732-4621
• DOI: 10.1650/CONDOR-14-98.1

Renewable energy resources have received increased attention because of impacts of fossil fuels on global climate change. In Kansas, USA, optimal sites for wind energy development often overlap with preferred habitats of the Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), a lek-mating prairie grouse of conservation concern. We tested for potential effects of energy development on male Greater Prairie-Chickens in north-central Kansas. We captured males at 23 leks located 0.04 to 28 km from wind turbines during a 2-yr preconstruction period (2007–2008) and a 3-yr postconstruction period (2009–2011). First, we tested for effects of proximity to turbines, habitat, and lek size on annual probability of lek persistence and changes in male numbers. We predicted that energy development might result in behavioral avoidance of areas close to turbines, resulting in increased rates of lek abandonment and fewer males attending surviving leks. We found that distance to turbine had a negative effect on lek persistence for leks