Avifauna Ecology Operational Assessment
Direct Habitat Loss
In this EIA study, the majority of the birds recorded were found highly restricted to near-shore coastal
areas, and all bird species recorded belong to surface-feeding species.
Given the remoteness of the wind farm site and lack of special habitat interest in the offshore
environment (e.g. low fishery productivity in offshore area), birds in the Study Area are not anticipated
to suffer from loss of marine habitat (benthic habitats) or particular foraging areas. The impact of
habitat loss is thus considered to be negligible.
Disturbance / Displacement
It is believed that the presence of an offshore wind farm may result in bird avoidance (i.e. birds avoid
using sea areas within or close to a wind farm). However, this effect has the potential to adversely
impact or displace a bird population only when food sources are restricted to the wind farm area so
that the birds are unable to relocate into suitable habitats nearby.
As the proposed wind farm site has low fisheries productivity and given that most birds in the Study
Area prefer feeding at near-shore waters (including around islands) where there is higher fisheries
productivity, potential disturbance / displacement impacts on birds are anticipated to be negligible.
Barrier Effect
When a wind farm is constructed across a well-defined bird migratory route and bird avoidance
responses are significant, it may result in a “barrier effect” that may alter the flyways or flight paths of
the migratory species.
Guidance on the siting of wind farms published by English Nature et al (2001) refers to the need for
developments to avoid known bird migration routes, local flight paths, foraging areas, and coastal
and inland wetland sites and upland sites of high ornithological importance, particularly those
supporting large populations of migratory waterfowl. These considerations have been taken into
account for the proposed Project, with field survey data indicating the absence of any significant
local flight paths associated with the site location, and with the Project being very deliberately
located as far offshore away from more sensitive coastal areas as is deemed practicable.
The previous sub-sections refer to migratory species that utilise the area on a seasonal basis, most
notably the breeding terns and Red-necked Phalarope that fly through the general area. As these
species generally approach coastal areas from the south when arriving to breed, there exist many
corridors of entry to the HKSAR coastline. Survey by Hog Kong Bird Watching Society, for example,
has determined that southern waters in general to be inhabited by migratory seabirds including
terns in some abundance, while from field observations it is known that from landing these birds
will travel around the coastline away from exposed offshore areas.
It can be expected that some inbound migrants may currently pass through the proposed Project
area, although with an indicative turbine spacing of at least 450m metres the barrier effect of the
proposed wind farm on bird migration is not anticipated to be significant.
Direct Habitat Loss
In this EIA study, the majority of the birds recorded were found highly restricted to near-shore coastal
areas, and all bird species recorded belong to surface-feeding species.
Given the remoteness of the wind farm site and lack of special habitat interest in the offshore
environment (e.g. low fishery productivity in offshore area), birds in the Study Area are not anticipated
to suffer from loss of marine habitat (benthic habitats) or particular foraging areas. The impact of
habitat loss is thus considered to be negligible.
Disturbance / Displacement
It is believed that the presence of an offshore wind farm may result in bird avoidance (i.e. birds avoid
using sea areas within or close to a wind farm). However, this effect has the potential to adversely
impact or displace a bird population only when food sources are restricted to the wind farm area so
that the birds are unable to relocate into suitable habitats nearby.
As the proposed wind farm site has low fisheries productivity and given that most birds in the Study
Area prefer feeding at near-shore waters (including around islands) where there is higher fisheries
productivity, potential disturbance / displacement impacts on birds are anticipated to be negligible.
Barrier Effect
When a wind farm is constructed across a well-defined bird migratory route and bird avoidance
responses are significant, it may result in a “barrier effect” that may alter the flyways or flight paths of
the migratory species.
Guidance on the siting of wind farms published by English Nature et al (2001) refers to the need for
developments to avoid known bird migration routes, local flight paths, foraging areas, and coastal
and inland wetland sites and upland sites of high ornithological importance, particularly those
supporting large populations of migratory waterfowl. These considerations have been taken into
account for the proposed Project, with field survey data indicating the absence of any significant
local flight paths associated with the site location, and with the Project being very deliberately
located as far offshore away from more sensitive coastal areas as is deemed practicable.
The previous sub-sections refer to migratory species that utilise the area on a seasonal basis, most
notably the breeding terns and Red-necked Phalarope that fly through the general area. As these
species generally approach coastal areas from the south when arriving to breed, there exist many
corridors of entry to the HKSAR coastline. Survey by Hog Kong Bird Watching Society, for example,
has determined that southern waters in general to be inhabited by migratory seabirds including
terns in some abundance, while from field observations it is known that from landing these birds
will travel around the coastline away from exposed offshore areas.
It can be expected that some inbound migrants may currently pass through the proposed Project
area, although with an indicative turbine spacing of at least 450m metres the barrier effect of the
proposed wind farm on bird migration is not anticipated to be significant.
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