New York State
Environmental Technical Working Group

Specialist Committees
Bird Communications
The Offshore Wind Environmental Technical Working Group (E-TWG) formed a specialist committee in December 2024 to develop communications materials to aid in the dissemination of accurate, science-based information around the potential impacts to birds from offshore wind energy development. The committee will develop a series of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as a resource for stakeholders who communicate directly with the general public and receive questions related to birds and offshore wind, the first version of which will be published in early 2025.
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The FAQ resource will be updated over time to incorporate emerging questions related to birds and offshore wind energy development. A communications toolkit with key talking points will also be produced to accompany the FAQ. These materials will include both text and graphics. Subscribe to the E-TWG mailing list below to receive updates on committee activities and FAQ releases!
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Committee members are affiliated with the following organizations, institutions, and agencies:
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APEM Limited
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Attentive Energy
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Duke University
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Equinor
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Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
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Maine Audubon
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National Audubon Society
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New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection
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Normandeau Associates
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National Wildlife Federation
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Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
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Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative
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The Nature Conservancy
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Virginia Dept. of Wildlife Resources
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Please fill out this survey to provide input on the topics that the Specialist Committee should cover and/or indicate your willingness to provide your expertise in draft product development. For additional information on this or other E-TWG activities, please contact Julia Gulka.​​​
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Frequently Asked
Questions
I. Offshore Wind Development Process
What are the major components of an offshore wind facility?
II. Potential Offshore Wind Effects on Birds
What are the types of potential effects to birds from offshore wind development?
What factors determine risk to birds from offshore wind development?
Why should we care about birds and offshore wind development?
How does offshore wind development compare to other sources of bird mortality? Does offshore wind development kill birds?
How do we assess the risk of birds collding with offshore wind turbines?
What do we know about the frequency of bird collisions at offshore wind facilities?
IV. Mitigation and Monitoring
What is compensatory mitigation and how does it apply to birds and offshore wind?
V. Regulatory Context and Requirements
What federal environmental laws and international agreements protect birds?

Other Resources
There are a variety of science communications materials and science-based information available on wildlife and offshore wind energy development in our webinar library, and selected external resources for learning more are also available here.
Photo credits: Wind farm © David Will - pixabay;




