Behavior of bats at wind turbines
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Publication Date
10-21-2014
Publication Title
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Volume Number
111
Issue Number
42
Abstract
Significance Bats are dying in unprecedented numbers at wind turbines, but causes of their susceptibility are unknown. Fatalities peak during low-wind conditions in late summer and autumn and primarily involve species that evolved to roost in trees. Common behaviors of “tree bats” might put them at risk, yet the difficulty of observing high-flying nocturnal animals has limited our understanding of their behaviors around tall structures. We used thermal surveillance cameras for, to our knowledge, the first time to observe behaviors of bats at experimentally manipulated wind turbines over several months. We discovered previously undescribed patterns in the ways bats approach and interact with turbines, suggesting behaviors that evolved at tall trees might be the reason why many bats die at wind turbines.
Document Type
Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/ 10.1073/pnas.1406672111
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Cryan, Paul. M.; Gorresen, P. Marcos; Hein, Cris D.; Schirmacher, Michael R.; Diehl, Robert H.; Huso, Manuela M.; Hayman, David T. S.; Fricker, Paul D.; Bonaccorso, Frank J.; Johnson, Douglas H.; Heist, Kevin; and Dalton, David C., "Behavior of bats at wind turbines" (2014). KIP Articles. 10158.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/kip_articles/10158
