Trialling camera and AI based system for documenting bird collisions offshore

Carcass searches, which are used at onshore wind farms, are not feasible offshore, and as a result there is very little available evidence to inform collision risk assessments for new developments.

This could be about to change. Recent technological advances show great potential to finally provide robust evidence. To test this, we deployed a solution combining thermal cameras and AI to document collisions at one of the turbines at Hollandse Kust Zuid.

The solution provided by Wildlife Imaging System consists of 12 outward-looking cameras deployed at the base of the turbine. These monitor the entire area below the rotor for falling objects. This is complemented by four upward-looking cameras that provide context on activity in the rotor area.

A full year of data collection, including the spring and autumn migration periods, has now been completed, and data analysis is being carried out by independent experts from Wageningen Environmental Research. Results will be reported in mid-2026.