The MERLIN™ Avian Radar System is the most capable, proven and widely used bird radar system available for conducting bird and bat surveys, mortality risk analysis, and migratory studies, and for long-term and operational monitoring and mitigation of risks. MERLIN technology capabilities include:

• Risk assessments for siting of new projects & expansions of existing sites
• Migratory bird & bat studies & research
• Habitat assessment & use analysis
• Monitoring & control of operating sites
• Mortality risk assessment & mitigation planning
• Bird and bat mortality mitigation

Applications include a wide range of projects with avian mortality risk, control and management issues (click underlined text below for specific application details):

• Wind Energy Farms (terrestrial & offshore)
• Airports (military & commercial)
• Landfills
• Oil & Gas Facilities
• Power Plants
• Mines

MERLIN Bird & Bat Survey Technology

The MERLIN Environmental Surveyor radar system provides the most cost-effective, scientifically sound, and conclusive method for collection of high-quality, statistically superior data on bird and bat movements at project sites, including wind farms, airports, landfills and mines. The MERLIN system uses technology originally developed by DeTect for the US Air Force and NASA for military aviation and space shuttle flight safety applications. MERLIN is the most advanced and proven avian radar technology available with over 90 systems currently operating worldwide. MERLIN technology is supported by DeTect's professional staff of experienced avian biologists and radar ornithologists that provides clients with the most experienced team of experts in remote sensing of birds and bats in the world - with specific expertise in design, construction and operation of bird/wildlife detection systems for aviation safety and environmental management.

MERLIN uses state-of-the-art radar and computer techniques developed specifically for detecting and tracking the unique behavioral characteristics of birds and bats to collect data continuously and automatically under a variety of conditions generating highly accurate, detailed datasets for analysis and for use in project decision-making, planning, permitting and risk management. MERLIN is highly automated with a proven record of high operability and low maintenance in adverse environments. The system can operate 24-7 unattended and is fully remote accessible and controllable through local networks and the Internet with a range of connectivity options that include WLAN, WWAN and satellite. MERLIN systems are delivered with a full range of standard data analysis routines as well as an optional SQL server datasystem. All data are also archived to disk providing a permanent record for each project and for further post-processing and modeling with Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and other programs.

Systems are fully self-contained with on-board control cabins, remote auto-start primary or back-up power systems, and include all hardware and software for bird and bat tracking, clutter suppression, interference rejection and data recording. Custom configurations, including fixed and offshore installations, can also be provided that integrate additional sensors such as thermal cameras, bat detectors, insect detectors, vertical profilers and acoustic monitors. DeTect provides complete system installation and user training support. Each system includes a full 3 year parts and labor warranty and 3 years of MERLIN software upgrades. Systems are available for short-term rental, long-term lease or for sale, both with and without DeTect operators.

Wind Energy Project Avian Radar Survey & Monitoring

Radar surveys for wind energy projects offer significant benefits over conventional visual avian survey techniques. The MERLIN system is the most powerful and proven tool available for assessment, monitoring and real-time risk mitigation at wind energy projects - in both terrestrial and offshore environments throughout the U.S. and Europe. MERLIN's dual vertical and horizontal scanning radars provide exceptionally accurate data on bird & bat passage rates and altitudes across proposed or existing wind farm sites and provides detailed bird and bat target databases for the rotor swept altitudes that can be used to provide quantitative determination of mortality risk to birds and bats at the wind farm. The system also develops detailed data on bird and bat movements for the area surrounding the wind farm out to 3-4 nm and up to 10,000 feet in altitude. MERLIN ’s Data Analyzer program includes standard and custom database queries providing both tabular and graphical outputs quantifying the numbers of birds and bats passing through the rotor swept area allowing precise calculation and determination of bird and bat mortality risk.

For operating windfarms, the MERLIN SCADA functionality allows the system to operate as a real-time "early warning", monitoring and risk mitigation system providing advance warning to the windfarm operators of approaching birds. MERLIN SCADA can also be configured to automatically activate mitigation responses at operating windfarms that can include idling of select or all turbines until risk conditions abate. The MERLIN operating software is fully compatible with most wind farm SCADA control systems and DeTect provides full implementation support. For more details on the MERLIN Avian Radar System for windpower projects, Click Here

VESPER Fixed-beam Vertical Profile Bird & Bat Radar

DeTect is developing the VESPER Fixed-Beam Vertical Profile Radar based on relatively low cost and highly reliable components with an operational system projected for commercial availability in late 2009.  The VESPER technology is designed to provide species differentiation and identification based on measurement of wingbeat frequency of bird, bat and insect targets as they pass through the beam.  The beam width will be sufficiently wide to allow even large, slow flapping targets to reside in the beam for several seconds allowing for measurement.  This new sensor will be capable of being operated independently or in concert with a MERLIN bird radar system to provide specific data on the type of target that has been detected, (i.e. bird, bat or insect) and will allow inclusion and measurement of insect data for improved bird and bat mortality risks models and mitigation strategies for wind farms.

Current radar survey techniques eliminate insect targets in radar data to prevent overstating bird counts, however, by rejecting insect data rather than classifying it, important data are lost.  As an example, for a wind turbine site if insects occur at the highest densities below the rotor-swept height, it is likely that foraging bats would adopt a strategy that would place them below the rotor-swept area. A radar that can effectively and automatically discriminate birds, bats and insects will provide important information on bat migration relative to insect rich layers in the atmosphere. It is possible that bat mortality with respect to wind turbines is highest where these insect layers intersect with the rotor swept zone of the turbine and this technology could be definitive in defining this relationship. In addition to providing improved risk assessment data, the VESPER technology can also have operational application.  For example, it is known that the majority of bat kills occur in a narrow time period in the fall (approximately two weeks).  It is also known that a wind turbine with feathered blades kills few, if any, bats.  If the technology can establish a correlation between bat distribution and insect activity, then the turbines may need only to be feathered during periods when insects are in the rotor swept height and not for the entire risk period.  In this case the VESPER could be used as a monitoring and mitigation tool for operating the wind farm.  

Expert Application Support

With MERLIN, users are getting more than an avian radar system - DeTect provides comprehensive application support with each system that includes avian survey/ application design, system set-up, data collection support and project-specific user training. Each system is also supported by DeTect's team of avian biologists who have extensive backgrounds and experience in radar ornithology, avian biology, study design, bird control and risk mitigation on projects worldwide. For bird and bat survey applications, DeTect provides full data analysis support that includes custom algorithm development, data processing, reporting and risk analysis supporting client biologists and/or clients consultants.

MERLIN bird and bat radar systems are offered for sale, long-term lease or short-term rental, with or without DeTect operators and are backed by a three year full parts and labor warranty.