A federal judge on Friday rejected several arguments brought by opponents of a proposed first-in-the-nation offshore wind farm in Nantucket Sound but ordered the government to review claims that the Cape Wind project could pose risks to migratory birds and the endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Reggie Walton in Washington, D.C., won praise from both sides, with Cape Wind calling it a “major victory” and opponents predicting it would be a significant setback that could further delay financing and the start of construction.