Abstract
Alcids generally fly at low altitudes (below 5 m) over the sea but may occasionally fly higher in certain areas, which may put them at risk of collision with turbine blades in offshore wind farms. We used GPS loggers to investigate the location and altitude of flying Rhinoceros Auklets Cerorhinca monocerata. They typically flew at low altitudes averaging < 1 m but flew higher (> 20 m) when returning the last 5–10 km to their colony, which was located at an elevation of 120–130 m above sea level. Thus, the region over which Rhinoceros Auklets fly highest may vary, depending on the location and elevation of their breeding sites. Therefore, it is important to consider spatio-temporal flight altitude patterns when assessing their collision risks with offshore wind turbines.
DOI
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.51.1.1517
Creative Commons License
Recommended Citation
Okado, Jumpei and Watanuki, Yutaka
(2023)
"Flight Altitudes of Chick-rearing Rhinoceros Auklets Cerorhinca monocerata Measured by GPS Logger,"
Marine Ornithology: Vol. 51
:
Iss.
1
, Article 19.
http://doi.org/10.5038/2074-1235.51.1.1517
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/marine_ornithology/vol51/iss1/19