The lesser spotted eagle is endangered in Germany.Hinze, K/DPA via ZUMA Press This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Small in size, sensitive of constitution and with only 130 breeding pairs surviving locally in the wild, the lesser spotted eagle of the Oder delta lives up to its name. In Germany, key questions over the country's energy future hang on the question of whether artificial intelligence systems can do a better job of spotting the reclusive animal than birdwatchers do. Lesser spotted eagles (named after the drop-shaped spots on their feathers) are fond of riding thermals over many of the flatlands earmarked for a mass expansion of onshore windfarms by a German government under pressure to compensate for a pending loss of nuclear power, coal plants and Russian gas. Because lesser spotted eagles in mid-flight are unused to vertical obstacles, and keep their eyes focused on mice, lizard or frog-shaped prey below, conservationists say, they are known to occasionally collide with the rotor blades of wind turbines.

Small in size, sensitive of constitution and with only 130 breeding pairs surviving locally in the wild, the lesser spotted eagle of the Oder delta lives up to its name. In Germany, key questions over the country's energy future hang on the question of whether artificial intelligence systems can do a better job of spotting the reclusive animal than birdwatchers do. Lesser spotted eagles (named after the drop-shaped spots on their feathers) are fond of riding thermals over many of the flatlands earmarked for a mass expansion of onshore windfarms by a German government under pressure to compensate for a pending loss of nuclear power, coal plants and Russian gas. Because lesser spotted eagles in mid-flight are unused to vertical obstacles, and keep their eyes focused on mice, lizard or frog-shaped prey below, conservationists say, they are known to occasionally collide with the rotor blades of wind turbines. German researchers list eight dead specimens found in the vicinity of windfarms since 2002, a small but not insignificant number given the species' endangered status in the country.

IdentiFlight is an AI-powered bird detection system that is used in conjunction with wind turbine farms. The device scans the area for large birds, and can turn off individual turbines if it believes a bird is at risk of colliding with a blade. "The IdentiFlight bird detection system blends artificial intelligence with the high-precision optical technology to detect eagles and other protected avian species. In an operating wind farm, IdentiFlight contributes to eagle conservation by helping protect them from collisions with rotating wind turbine blades. In wind project development, IdentiFlight helps in permitting sites by accurately quantifying avian activity at prospective sites. Automatic detection and species determination occur within seconds for birds flying within a one kilometer hemisphere around an IdentiFlight tower. The IdentiFlight system has completed real-world testing and validation in pilot programs at wind farms with elevated eagle activity and is now commercially deployed at projects around the world. The IdentiFlight uses 47 million images to identify protected species, and it appears the tech works. A recent study found that there was an 82% reduction in bird fatalities at a site using the IdentiFlight compared with a control site. "This technology therefore has the potential to lessen the conflict between wind energy and raptor conservation.

Wind power is a powerful tool for reducing carbon emissions that cause climate change. The turbines, however, can be a threat to birds and bats, which is why experts are looking for--and finding--ways to eliminate the danger. The US government has allocated $13.5 million to look for solutions. But, already a Boulder, Colorado company has produced a camera- and AI-based technology that can recognize eagles, hawks and other raptors as they approach in enough time to pause turbines in their flight path. Their tool, called IdentiFlight, can detect 5.62 times more bird flights than human observers alone, and with an accuracy rate of 94 percent.

IdentiFlight's smart cameras, which spot birds of prey such as eagles and then halt wind turbines to protect the birds, can result in a large percentage reduction of bird deaths, according to a new study published last week in the Journal of Applied Ecology. The study, titled, "Eagle fatalities are reduced by automated curtailment of wind turbines," tested the efficacy of IdentiFlight's camera system, which detects flying objects, classifies them, and decides whether to curtail individual turbines to avoid potential collision, at Duke Energy's Top of the World Windpower Facility in Wyoming. They compared the number of eagle fatalities observed at Top of the World with those at a control site without IdentiFlight nine miles (15 km) away. There was an 82% reduction in the fatality rate at Top of the World relative to the control site. This technology therefore has the potential to lessen the conflict between wind energy and raptor conservation.

A golden eagle is seen flying over a wind turbine wind farm in Wyoming. Maybe not as many as some opponents would have you believe, but it's a problem for the renewable energy industry (along with improper siting in bird flight paths). Of course, coal-fired energy in the United States kills birds too. Eagles, also a symbol of America, hold a special place in the wildlife world. They're protected by federal law, and certainly worth protecting from the whooshing blades of wind turbines.