A Technique for Removing the Effect of Migrating Birds in 915-MHz Wind Profiler Data

A method is described and evaluated for decreasing artifacts in radar wind profiler data resulting from overflying, migrating birds. The method processes the prerecorded, averaged spectral data of a wind profiler to derive hourly wind profiles during conditions of frequent backscattering from birds. Comparison with in situ measurements revealed a significant improvement over the “traditional,” online processing routine. When both the traditional method and the proposed new method are applied to an extended dataset, a practical procedure can be implemented to detect periods with significant bird-caused artifacts.