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Collision and Displacement Vulnerability Among Marine Birds of the California Current System Associated with Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure

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Collision and Displacement Vulnerability Among Marine Birds of the California Current System Associated with Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure Prepared in cooperation with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (OCS Study, BOEM 2016-043) Collision and Displacement Vulnerability among Marine Birds of the California Current System Associated with Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure Open–File Report 2016–1154 Version 1.1, July 2017 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Cover: Photograph showing Ashy Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma homochroa). Photograph courtesy of David M. Pereksta. Used with permission. Collision and Displacement Vulnerability among Marine Birds of the California Current System Associated with Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure By Josh Adams, Emily C. Kelsey, Jonathan J. Felis, and David M. Pereksta Prepared in cooperation with Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (OCS Study, BOEM 2016-043) Open-File Report 2016–1154 Version 1.1, July 2017 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior SALLY JEWELL, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Suzette M. Kimball, Director U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2016 For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living resources, natural hazards, and the environment—visit https://www.usgs.gov/ or call 1–888–ASK–USGS (1–888–275–8747). For an overview of USGS information products, including maps, imagery, and publications, visit https://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/. Disclaimer: This product has been peer reviewed and approved for publication consistent with USGS Fundamental Science Practices (https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1367/) and has been technically reviewed and approved for publication by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. The information is provided on the condition that neither the U.S. Geological Survey nor the U.S. Government may be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of this information. The views and conclusions contained in this document should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain, it also may contain copyrighted materials as noted in the text. Permission to reproduce copyrighted items must be secured from the copyright owner. Suggested citation: Adams, J., Kelsey, E.C., Felis, J.J., and Pereksta, D.M., 2017, Collision and displacement vulnerability among marine birds of the California Current System associated with offshore wind energy infrastructure (ver. 1.1, July 2017): U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016-1154, 116 p., https://doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161154. ISSN 2331–1258 (online) Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 2 Methods ...................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Species Selection.................................................................................................................................................... 6 Species Vulnerability Assessment Methods ............................................................................................................ 9 Population Vulnerability ..................................................................................................................................... 11 Global Population Size (POP) ........................................................................................................................ 11 Proportion of Population in CCS (CCSpop) ................................................................................................... 14 Annual Occurrence (AO) in the CCS ............................................................................................................. 15 Threat Status (TS) ......................................................................................................................................... 16 Breeding Score (BR) ...................................................................................................................................... 18 Adult Survival (AS) ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Collision Vulnerability ........................................................................................................................................ 19 Nocturnal Flight Activity (NFA) and Diurnal Flight Activity (DFA) ................................................................... 21 Percentage of Time in Rotor Sweep Zone (RSZt) ......................................................................................... 22 Macro-Avoidance (MA) .................................................................................................................................. 23 Population Collision Vulnerability (PCV) ........................................................................................................ 24 Displacement Vulnerability ................................................................................................................................ 26 Macro-Avoidance (MA) .................................................................................................................................. 27 Habitat Flexibility (HF) ................................................................................................................................... 28 Population Displacement Vulnerability (PDV) ................................................................................................ 28 Results ...................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Marine Bird Species and Taxa Accounts .................................................................................................................. 37 Brant (Branta bernicla) .......................................................................................................................................... 37 Mergansers (Mergus spp.) .................................................................................................................................... 37 Ducks and Scoters ................................................................................................................................................ 38 Loons (Gavia spp.) ................................................................................................................................................ 40 Grebes (Aechmophorus spp. / Podiceps spp.) ...................................................................................................... 43 Albatrosses (Phoebastria spp.) ............................................................................................................................. 44 Pacific Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis rogersii) ............................................................................................ 46 Gadfly Petrels (Pterodroma spp.) .......................................................................................................................... 46 Shearwaters (Puffinus spp.) .................................................................................................................................. 47 Storm-Petrels (Oceanodroma spp. / Oceanites spp.) ............................................................................................ 49 Cormorants (Phalacrocorax penicillatus, P. auritus, and P. pelagicus) ................................................................. 51 Pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis and P. erythrorhynchos) ................................................................................... 53 Red and Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus fulicarius and P. lobatus) ............................................................... 54 Jaegers and Skua (Stercorarius spp.) ................................................................................................................... 55 Alcids .................................................................................................................................................................... 57 Gulls ...................................................................................................................................................................... 62 Terns ..................................................................................................................................................................... 66 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................................. 69 Acknowledgments ..................................................................................................................................................... 70 References Cited ...................................................................................................................................................... 70
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