الفهرس 
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Abstract
During the past years, few studies have discussed the migration of soaring birds over the Gulf of Suez, Egypt within the Rift valley/Red Sea flyway and the impact of wind farms that obstruct the flyway from Europe to Africa and versa vape. During the current study, we recorded the migration pattern and movements of MSBs at the wind farm during operation and the effects of weather conditions during the spring migration season. Also, to study the impacts of the wind farm at Gabel Al-Zeit on MSBs by survey the wind farm to detect carcass. To monitoring bird migration, the vantage point technique of the Scottish Natural Heritage guidance (SNH, 2010) was used as a standard method for bird census; it is following the method described in Sutherland (1996). To monitoring bird carcasses the authors used the standard methodology (systematic and unsystematic search) according to (Strickland et al. 2011) for bird fatality assessment.
The present study was conducted during the period from March 4th – May 10th, 2018, at KFW/Gabel Al-Zeit in Egypt, where 2 vantage points were selected; one in the extension area to cover the new 20 turbines without implementation of Shutdown on Demand (SOD) program, and the other VP was at the middle of the station where the SOD program is running. Random forty-five turbines selected in previous seasons (35 turbines) (from autumn 2015, spring 2016, and spring 2017), three new turbines (no. 22, no. 45, and no. 79), and seven new turbines from the extension project (7 out of 20 new turbines) to monitoring the bird carcasses and to assess the impact of the wind farm during spring 2018.
The results of the study can be summarized as follows:
1. Bird species recorded during the study period
• In 2018, the year during which data of the present study were collected, the percentages of 14 bird species recorded from the study area listed also exceeded 1% of the eastern flyway populations.
• Thirty-two migratory soaring bird species were recorded during the standard field observations carried out from March 4th to May 12th, 2018. A total of 143,906 individuals, belonging to these 32 species were recorded. Four species were common ones since they formed about 90% of the total recorded number.
• These four common species were the white stork (63.03%), the steppe buzzard (13.21%), the white pelican (7.42%), and the honey buzzard (6.01%). The remaining 28 bird species were rare ones since they formed 10% of the recorded species.
• All globally threatened (vulnerable, endangered, and critically endangered) migratory soaring species recorded in the study area surpassed 1% of the flyway population. These species include the Egyptian vulture (1.2%), the steppe eagle (3.02%). Two other near-threatened bird species the pallid harrier and the red-footed falcon were recorded.
2. Migration phenology
Migration phenology refers to the abundance of different migrating bird species at different periods of the season of migration, the results of the migration phenology study can be summarized as follows:
• Early March: It is the time of arrival of the common crane and the steppe eagle and peak migration of white storks.
• March – first half of April: It is the time of the arrival of the great white pelican, the steppe buzzard, and the eastern imperial eagle.
• Early April: It is the time of arrival of the greater spotted eagle and black kite.
• Mid-April: It is the time of arrival of the long-legged buzzard, the Levant sparrow hawk, and the osprey.
• Late April: It is the time of arrival of hoppy.
• April-early May: It is the time of arrival of the marsh harrier.
• May: It is the time of arrival of the honey buzzard and Eleonora’s falcon.
3. Carcasses search assessment
During systematic and unsystematic carcasses search detected 11 bird carcasses and/or remains; seven of which belong to migratory soaring birds, and all with Least Concern status. Bias correction trials were implemented, including searcher efficiency trials and carcass removal trials, both were used, among other variables to estimate both detection probability and estimated mortality using Erickson estimator. The searcher efficiency average rate for all decoys size classes was 91%. Carcass persistence was ranged between 11 days in MSBs and one day in non-MSBs, while chicken persistence recorded 2.8 days.
Finally, the results indicate the mortality rate estimated by Erickson’s estimator ranges between 0.06 and 0.23 MSB fatality/turbine/season in the KFW station during the spring 2018 migration season.
4. Proposed action plan to manage the wind farm projects in the area
This study proposes a post construction action plan to alleviate the impact of energy projects (wind farms and powerlines) on migratory soaring birds. In addition to a management structure that would be considered in situ and/or between different projects. The main sections of the proposed action plan are:
1. On-site mitigation and monitoring methods, to minimize collision risk, validate the effectiveness of proposed mitigation methods,
2. Collaborative efforts with other wind farm entities, to minimize the cumulative effects of all the proposed wind farm developments in the study area, with consultation of the Ministry of Environment and relevant stakeholders interested in energy development and biodiversity conservation.
3. Communication, coordination and data sharing between all projects and stakeholders