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The birdradar

In the context of the MIVSP project, Rijkswaterstaat is installing bird radars on offshore platforms and wind turbines to gain better insights into bird migration over the North Sea.

Image: Rene Lemmen

The technique of the birdradar

The bird radar consists of two radars from Robin Radar Systems. A horizontal radar tracks flight paths in 2D, while a vertical radar measures flight altitude. By combining these, bird flight paths can be displayed in 3D. The radars can detect birds up to 6 kilometers away and at altitudes of up to 1.5 kilometers.

The bird radar collects data on flight direction, speed, distance, and bird size (small, medium, large, or flocks). To improve data quality, noise caused by wind turbines, airplanes, and weather conditions is filtered out. Bird experts from Waardenburg Ecology validate the data quality by comparing radar images with their own observations.

A radar image of a bird migration on April 1, 2020

Locations

By mid-2024, eight bird radars are operational at the following locations:

  • The Offshore Expertise Centre
  • Gas platform K14 (Wind Farm IJmuiden Ver planned)
  • Wind Farm Borssele Platform Alpha
  • Wind Farm Borssele I
  • Wind turbine BB7 (formerly B07)
  • Wind Farm Hollandse Kust West Platform Alpha
  • Wind Farm Hollandse Kust Zuid Platform Alpha
  • Wind Farm Luchterduinen Wind Turbine 42

Data access

The data collected by the bird radar is not yet directly available because extensive post-processing is required. Public data can be requested from Joris Diehl, service delivery manager for eco-sensors at Rijkswaterstaat (joris.diehl@rws.nl).

Users and applications

The data is used for the Start/Stop project, which predicts bird migration based on weather forecasts. Using these predictions, wind turbines in the North Sea can temporarily be shut down to prevent collisions with birds. Additionally, the data is utilized by scientists from the University of Amsterdam and consultants from Waardenburg Ecology. Rijkswaterstaat uses the data for the Wind at Sea Ecological Program (WOZEP), which investigates the ecological impact of offshore wind energy.