Avoidance behavior by prairie grouse: implications for development of wind energy

Area of Science:

• Avian Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Wildlife Management

Background:

• Wind energy development is rapidly expanding in the Great Plains, raising concerns about its impact on prairie birds.
• Prairie birds are a threatened group in North America, making understanding anthropogenic impacts crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of power lines and highways on Lesser Prairie-Chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) and Greater Prairie-Chickens (T. cupido).
• To determine if these birds avoid or alter movement patterns near anthropogenic structures.

Main Methods:

• Radiotelemetry tracking of 463 Lesser Prairie-Chickens and 216 Greater Prairie-Chickens across two Oklahoma locations.
• Analysis of 15,071 Lesser Prairie-Chicken and 5,750 Greater Prairie-Chicken tracking locations over 7 and 3 years, respectively.
• Statistical evaluation of avoidance behavior and home range overlap in relation to power lines and highways.

Main Results:

• Both species avoided power lines by at least 100 meters.
• Lesser Prairie-Chickens showed avoidance of one highway by 100 meters.
• Prairie-chickens crossed power lines less than expected by chance, indicating a barrier effect.

Conclusions:

• Power lines and similar structures (e.g., wind turbines) likely cause habitat avoidance and movement barriers for prairie-chickens.
• Continued wind energy development may exacerbate habitat fragmentation for already vulnerable prairie bird populations.
• Conservation strategies should consider the landscape-level impacts of energy infrastructure on prairie ecosystems.