As part of our commitment to responsible offshore wind development, we recognise the need to protect Scotland’s globally important seabird populations, now and into the future.
This is why we are proud to support the Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund’s (SMEEF) Seabird Resilience Fund - a strategic programme that provides over £1.6 million to support targeted actions that improve seabird breeding success, strengthen coastal habitats and enhance monitoring and conservation science.
Scotland’s coastal cliffs and surrounding seas are home to internationally significant seabird species. Birds such as gannets, guillemots, kittiwakes, puffins and razorbills are not only an integral part of Scotland’s natural heritage, but also indicators of the health of our marine ecosystems.
Ornithology plays a central role in how we design, assess, construct and operate our offshore wind projects. Thistle Wind Partners (TWP) takes a proactive approach to understanding how seabirds interact with the marine environment, including offshore wind farms, and importantly, what can be done to reduce impacts.
Data-driven methodology
At the heart of TWP’s approach is innovation. We are using advanced digital aerial surveys (DAS), aerial light detection and ranging (LiDAR) technology, and drone monitoring to gather more accurate and environmentally sensitive data efficiently with reduced health and safety implications.
LiDAR’s remote sensing technology was deployed across both offshore and onshore elements of our Bowdun project. Offshore LiDAR surveys provide more accurate and comprehensive data on seabird flight heights, helping us build a clearer picture of how birds interact with our project areas. This information feeds directly into our baseline assessments and mitigation-by-design strategy, resulting in better-informed environmental planning and lower project impacts.
This complements our parallel use of drone surveys for seabird colony monitoring, which offers a safer, more efficient and less intrusive method than traditional land or boat-based surveys. These tools help us map bird movements, flight heights and colony behaviours at a scale and quality never before possible.
Collaboration is key
In partnership with the North East and East Ornithology Group (NEEOG), a unique consortium of 12 offshore wind projects, we are leading collaborative efforts to address consenting barriers, particularly regarding ornithology evidence. Drone surveys conducted at the North and East Caithness Cliffs Special Protection Areas are improving our understanding of seabird colony health with minimal disturbance. These methods are safer, faster and more repeatable than traditional visual boat and land surveys, helping us build a robust scientific foundation for project design and mitigation.
We are committed to delivering our offshore wind farms with seabird safety in mind. This includes, for example, increasing the air gap between the sea and turbine blades to reduce collision risk.
However, we recognise that resilience goes beyond project level mitigation. By supporting the Seabird Resilience Fund, we are investing in solutions that extend well beyond our project boundaries, including habitat restoration, predator control and community-led conservation work that benefit seabird populations across Scotland.
The data generated from our joint efforts not only inform project assessments, but also support national policy, help shape licensing frameworks, and contribute towards refining the Scottish Government’s Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind. This ensures offshore wind is delivered in a way that strengthens biodiversity outcomes alongside climate goals.
Offshore wind has a vital role to play in Scotland’s net zero future, bringing with it significant, long term socio-economic benefits to Scotland. But that future must also protect and restore the ecosystems that make Scotland’s seas unique. We look forward to continuing our work with SMEEF, NEEOG, and Scotland’s conservation community as we shape a sustainable and resilient marine environment for generations to come.