DTBird was also at the European Vulture Conference 2023!
After closing the Spanish Wind Energy event in Gran Canaria, Agustín Riopérez (CEO) gave a presentation as a speaker at the European Vulture Conference 2023, hosted by the Vulture Conservation Foundation. The conference took place in Cáceres, Extremadura, from 14 to 17 November at the San Francisco Cultural Centre.
The European Vulture Conference is a scientific and technical event organised by the Vulture Conservation Foundation. It brings together researchers, wildlife managers, conservation NGOs, public authorities and wind energy stakeholders working on the conservation of European vulture species. The programme focuses on population trends, satellite tracking, foraging behaviour, poisoning incidents, rehabilitation, and the interaction of vultures with infrastructures such as power lines and wind turbines. It is also a forum for sharing monitoring technologies, risk assessments and results from EU-funded reintroduction and conservation projects.
During the session, we explained how the DTBird system works and showed examples of real detections and wind turbine shutdowns with vultures as the main species involved. We also highlighted how larger onshore wind turbines increase rotor diameter and lead to longer stopping times, which may raise the collision risk for vultures. These birds tend to fly using thermal updrafts and are often slow to react to obstacles.
The presentation addressed technical challenges and practical measures to reduce collision risk in areas with high vulture activity. The session also summarised operational experiences gathered from several wind farms using DTBird’s detection and shutdown modules.
European Vulture Conference 2023, Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain.
