WEST is excited to announce the publication of the article “Aquatic Habitat Bird Occurrences at Photovoltaic Solar Energy Development in Southern California, USA” in the journal Diversity. This article evaluates the evidence for the lake effect hypothesis, which suggests that aquatic habitat birds misinterpret PV solar energy facilities as water. After summarizing bird survey data at five PV solar facilities and paired reference areas in southern California, the authors concluded the idea of a “lake effect” is likely a nuanced process as a PV solar facility is unlikely to provide a signal of a lake to all aquatic habitat birds at all times.
You can find the article in Diversity here: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/11/524
