nesting

Coexisting birds and solar energy

June 23, 2025 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Floating photovoltaic systems – known as floatovoltaics – are becoming increasingly popular. These are arrays of solar panels installed over artificial water bodies such as irrigation ponds, wastewater treatment plants, and reservoirs. These projects maximize the space for producing clean energy while not taking up natural lands.

Wherever there are bodies of water, there are waterbirds. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Davis looked at the potential impact of floating solar projects on birds and other wildlife.

Birds face many threats from habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and disease. Many bird populations are in decline. So, it is important to consider the effects of floating solar projects on birds.

The researchers have observed birds resting on floating solar structures before dawn, birds jockeying for favorable sites on the structures, and some nesting under the panels. These are positive interactions. On the other hand, it is possible that pollutants could be released or leached from floating solar infrastructure. Such risks must be mitigated.

Floating solar on irrigation ponds and reservoirs can reduce evaporation and reduce algae growth, which benefits both humans and wildlife.

The researchers will continue to monitor bird behavior at floating solar installations using expertise in ecology and energy system science to identify risks and solution pathways so that negative impacts are avoided, and potential ecological benefits are realized. It is important that as floating solar continues to become more popular, it and waterbirds can coexist.

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Helping Birds and Floating Solar Energy Coexist

Photo, posted February 28, 2019, courtesy of Renee Grayson via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Good owls and bad owls

May 29, 2024 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

In the forests of the Pacific Northwest, spotted owls have been the subject of environmental concern for more than 30 years. Over the past 20 years, northern spotted owl populations have declined by up to 80% as the birds have faced marginalized territories and increasing numbers of wildfires. Only about 3,000 of them remain on federal lands. Spotted owls are picky eaters and are not very adaptable.

The barred owl, a larger and more ornery species, has been moving in on spotted owl turf for 50 years, competing for food and space, and out-reproducing them and chasing them out of their nesting spots.

A last-ditch effort to rescue the northern spotted owl from possible extinction has been proposed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The plan would be to eradicate up to half a million barred owls over the next 30 years in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The owls would be dispatched using cheap and efficient methods, such as shotguns.

The concept of killing off vast numbers of barred owls is awful, and nobody likes the idea. However, other strategies have failed, and time is running out. The only way to preserve the northern spotted owl is to protect and increase its habitat and have fewer barred owls.

To say that the proposed plan is controversial is a massive understatement. A coalition of 75 wildlife and animal welfare organizations described it as a “colossally reckless action.”

A central issue in the debate is whether humans are responsible for this situation and should try to rectify it or, despite our desire to protect the spotted owl, we should just let nature take its course.

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They Shoot Owls in California, Don’t They?

Photo, posted April 4, 2022, courtesy of Kyle Sullivan / BLM via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Lots of female turtles

November 3, 2023 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

Green sea turtles were listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1978. Since that time, there have been conservation measures put in place in many locations. One such place is Florida, where restrictions on beachfront development and careful monitoring of turtle nests has helped to get hatchlings safely into the water. A gill net ban in 1995 sharply reduced the number of young turtles killed by fishing gear.

All of this has resulted in what is described as an explosion in turtle populations in Florida. Volunteers monitoring the 2023 nesting season on Florida’s beaches have counted more than 74,000 nests. That beats the previous record – set in 2017 – by an incredible 40%.

Unfortunately, this does not represent a guaranteed great future for the species. Sea turtles are particularly sensitive to the warming climate. The sex of a baby sea turtle is not determined by DNA, but rather by the temperature of the sand in which its egg develops. Cooler temperatures mean more males; warmer ones mean more females.

In recent years, the proportion of male green sea turtles has dwindled substantially. In the past few seasons, between 87 percent and 100 percent of the hatchlings tested in Florida have been female.

In the short term, the skewed sex ratio might be a boon for the species. Lots of females laying lots of eggs means lots of turtles. Sea turtles don’t reach sexual maturity until their twenties or thirties. So, for the next few decades, there are likely to be growing numbers of turtle nests. But down the line, there is going to be a real problem. Where will for all the female turtles find the mates to populate the species in the future?

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Florida Turtle Nests Are Recovering. When They Hatch, Expect Mostly Girls.

Photo, posted October 5, 2011, courtesy of Keenan Adams / USFWS via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Bald Eagles And Lead Poisoning | Earth Wise

February 21, 2022 By EarthWise Leave a Comment

The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States. It was once a common sight over much of the continent but was severely affected in the mid-20th century by a variety of factors, particularly the use of the pesticide DDT, which caused thinning of its eggshells and sterility. In the 18th century, the bald eagle population was 300,000 – 500,000. By the 1950s, there were only 412 nesting pairs in the 48 contiguous states.

The bald eagle was declared an endangered species in the US in 1967 and additional regulations strengthened protections for the bird. The banning of DDT in 1972 was a major factor in the recovery of the species.

Bald eagle populations have been rebounding for decades but another issue is weakening that rebound – lead poisoning from gunshot ammunition. According to a new study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management, poisoning from eating dead carcasses or parts contaminated by lead shot has reduced population growth by 4% to 6% annually in the Northeast.

Bald eagle numbers in the lower 48 states quadrupled between 2009 and 2021 to more than 316,000, according to a report by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But even though the population has seemingly recovered, some combination of factors such as habitat loss, climate change, infectious disease, and lead poisoning could reverse the trends and lead to population declines.

The hope is that the study could help educate and inform policy on ammunition choices for hunters. There are alternatives such as copper-based ammunition. Human health can also be affected when bullets fragment inside game species and are then consumed.

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