Bio
Dr. Scott Terrill is an internationally recognized avian ecology and behavior expert with more than 40 years of experience. He is a principal based in the firm’s San Francisco Bay Area office. Dr. Terrill has made major contributions to the study of bird migration and movements He also has a strong background in vertebrate community ecology and population biology in terrestrial, estuarine, and marine habitats. Dr. Terrill has published more than 30 scientific papers and was the primary contributing author to the three-volume advanced field guide, The Audubon Society Master Guide to Birding. He was a regional editor for North American Birds and served 18 years on the California Bird Records Committee. Dr. Terrill is an elected member of the American Ornithological Society.
Dr. Terrill has managed more than 1,000 ecological consulting and research projects. His expertise extends into all major habitats in western North America, and his experience ranges throughout North America, and Hawaii, Middle and South America, and Europe. Dr. Terrill’s current focus areas are assessing and mitigating the potential effects that renewable energy projects can have on birds and applying wildlife and avian expertise to projects in California, other western states, and Hawaii. He also leads the firm’s bird-safe design services.
Prior to joining Integral Consulting, Dr. Terrill was a vice president and principal at H. T. Harvey & Associates where he worked for 35 years.
Relevant Experience
Avian Ecology
Habitat Conservation Planning and Monitoring of Seabird Fallout at Airports and Harbors, Kauai, Maui, and Lanai, Hawai‘i — As a senior wildlife ecologist, provides oversight for a seabird project for the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT). Leads team to obtain up-to-date information on the occurrence of sensitive species, particularly ESA-listed seabirds, at its harbors and airports. To support HDOT’s efforts to minimize fallout and mitigate for unavoidable impacts at HDOT facilities, H. T. Harvey & Associates developed and implemented a monitoring program to assess the fallout of seabirds. H. T. Harvey & Associates trained biologists to conduct facility-wide monitoring surveys to document and rescue seabirds—primarily fledglings of the ESA-listed Newell’s shearwater, Hawaiian petrel, and band-rumped storm-petrel, and the not uncommon Wedge-tailed shearwater, a state species of conservation need that also receives federal protection. The team designed and implemented monitoring protocols for detecting endangered Hawaiian hoary bat acoustic activity at Lihue Airport, Kahului Airport, and Lanai Airport, and Kahului Harbor. The monitoring results not only provided HDOT with data on the occurrence of sensitive species at its facilities, but informed recommendations for reducing operational impacts and developing conservation strategies that can result in long-term benefits for these species.
Hawaiian Petrel and Newell’s Shearwater Population Modeling, Maui, Hawai‘i — Oversaw, as principal-in-charge, evaluation of conservation needs and recommendations to support recovery of endangered Hawaiian petrels and threatened Newell’s shearwaters. The team developed dynamic population models to evaluate the efficacy of predator control at a mitigation site as a potential measure that could effectively mitigate project-related seabird losses in compliance with applicable habitat conservation plans for renewable sites.
Planning and Design of Wetland Habitat Restoration at Kawainui Marsh, O‘ahu, Hawai‘i — Provides waterbird ecology expertise, helping the Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) to plan and design improvements to waterbird nesting ponds at its Wildlife Sanctuary in Kawainui Marsh. The team assesses the effectiveness of the water supply, water distribution, system, and pond design in providing habitat for endangered waterbirds and developing plans to improve the pond system. The team evaluates the occurrence of flooding, developing the plans and design to prevent damage in future high water events. The team also conducts surveys of flora and fauna, preparing support documents including best management practices (BMPs), water quality monitoring and assessment plan, and consultations with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Hawai‘i Department of Health, and City and County of Honolulu.
Campus Bird-Safe Design, U.S. and Internationally — Serves as senior ornithologist providing bird-safe evaluation and technical assistance involving light, glass and other bird-safe design and management issues for a large number of projects for a leading high tech company in California, Washington, Colorado, Texas, New York, London, Dublin, Australia, India, and Brazil. Plans document design and operational features of each project intended to reduce bird strikes following the completion of construction and describe a bird strike monitoring program that client can implement as part of the project to reduce bird strikes, if necessary, following the completion of construction of a new office building.
West San Joaquin Valley Wetland Habitat Restoration, Kings, Kern, and Fresno Counties, California — Served as principal-in-charge for a multi-decade rainwater evaporation basin impact minimization project focused on design of mitigation measures for cumulative impacts on wildlife of selenium. Assessed impacts for CEQA and regional water control board permitting, designed and managed wetland mitigation activities, and managed over 25 years of monitoring efforts for impacts and mitigation results. The possibility of successful mitigation was initially considered questionable by regulatory agencies. Scott’s team was critical in deriving a highly successful impacts minimization and mitigation solution.
Humboldt Bay Aquaculture Permit Renewal and Expansion, Humboldt County, California — Served as principal-in-charge for an analysis of impacts of a shellfish aquaculture expansion project on black brant geese and other birds for an Environmental Impact Report under CEQA. The project included surveys at low and high tides in existing and proposed aquaculture areas during the species’ spring migration/stopover period. The number of black brants in established aquaculture beds and potential expansion sites was estimated, and brant behavior and eelgrass foraging preferences were monitored.
Seabirds in 3D: A Framework to Evaluate Collision Vulnerability with Future Offshore Wind Developments, California — Served as principal-in-charge for developing and publishing a novel 3D Seabird Collision Vulnerability Framework. It integrates historical at-sea observations and the offshore windscape to predict densities of 44 species of seabirds having sufficient sample size to allow a 3D perspective of what is expected below, versus at and above the Rotar Sweep Zone height. The prediction region encompassed all offshore waters capable of supporting current offshore wind mooring technologies, in California and southern Oregon.
Renewable Energy
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Used to Assess Performance of Automated Detection and Audio Deterrent System for Reducing Wind-Turbine Collision Risk for Golden Eagles, California and Washington States — Serves as principal-in-charge of a project in collaboration with the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) to conduct a multi-year study funded by the Department of Energy. The study evaluates the automated DTBird® system for detecting and deterring golden eagles at commercial wind-energy facilities in California and Washington.
Seabirds in 3D: A Framework to Evaluate Collision Vulnerability with Future Offshore Wind Developments, California — Served as principal-in-charge for developing and publishing a novel 3D Seabird Collision Vulnerability Framework. It integrates historical at-sea observations and the offshore windscape to predict densities of 44 species of seabirds having sufficient sample size to allow a 3D perspective of what is expected below, versus at and above the Rotar Sweep Zone height. The prediction region encompassed all offshore waters capable of supporting current offshore wind mooring technologies, in California and southern Oregon.
California Valley Solar Ranch Project, San Luis Obispo County, California — Served as senior ornithologist for the 250-megawatt project. Studies included aerial surveys for golden eagles and point count surveys for raptors and passerines. Provided technical expertise to the development and implementation of the avian and bat protection plan, which included designing and implementing a multiyear avian fatality monitoring.
Wildlife Ecology
Salt River Ecosystem Restoration Project, Humboldt County, California — Contributed wildlife expertise to the restoration design, planning, and permitting for 7.7 miles of the Salt River Channel and over 400 acres of tidal salt marsh on Riverside Ranch in Humboldt County, California. Analyzed conditions for wildlife and forecasted how conditions would change following the restoration project, and ways to improve habitat conditions through time.
Hawai‘i Wildlife Action Plan and Forest Action Plan Update, Honolulu, Hawai‘i — Served as principal-in-charge for the terrestrial components of updating the State of Hawai‘i’s 2005 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) and its 2010 Forest Action Plan (FAP). The team provided the biological expertise to update these plans on behalf of DLNR. Tasks for SWAP included (1) writing new species accounts and updating existing accounts for terrestrial, aquatic, and marine species of greatest conservation need (SGCN); (2) updating the flora portion of the SWAP by revising the list of plant SGCNs; (3) researching and incorporating information on the vulnerability of sensitive species; (4) updating chapters on statewide, marine, and island conservation needs; (5) updating other portions of these comprehensive statewide plans. Tasks on FAP included updating Hawai‘i’s nine conservation and management issues of water quality and quantity, forest health, wildfire, urban and community forestry, climate change, native biodiversity, nature-based recreation, forest products, and tropical island state and territory issues.
Education & Credentials
Highlights
40+ years of experience
Avian ecology
Wildlife ecology
Endangered Species Act consultation
Regulatory permitting and compliance
Renewable energy
Education & Credentials
Ph.D., Biology/Ecology, State University of New York, Albany, Albany, New York, 1986
M.S.; B.S., Zoology, Arizona State University, Phoenix, Arizona, 1978, 1981
Permits
CDFW scientific collecting permits for the California Ridgway’s rail
Professional Experience
Principal and vice president, H. T. Harvey & Associates, 1990–July 2026
Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow, Max-Planck-Institut, Germany, 1985–July 2026
Research director, Coyote Creek Riparian Station, 1991–1995
Adjunct professor, State University of New York, Albany, 1988–1990
Assistant professor, Siena College, New York, 1988–1990