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Study: Bats Mistake Wind Turbines For Trees Leading To Death

By Gretchen Frazee

Posted October 1, 2014

wind turbines

A U.S. Geological Survey study published this week shows bats are mistaking wind turbines for trees, which oftentimes causes them to be hit and killed by the spinning blades.

The theory is outlined in the report published in the the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Using an infrared camera to track bats' movements near wind turbines at the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, north of Lafayette, Ind., researchers observed what they say looks like the bats trying to roost on the turbines-much like they would on a tree.

Take a look at this video from the research below.

It shows how one bat tries to approach turbines from the backside, going against the wind.

Lead researcher and U.S. Geological Survey biologist Paul Cryan says he and his team of researchers observed this on multiple occasions.

He says it makes sense that bats would go against the wind so that they weren't pulled into the "tree" and be unable to stop to roost.

"That led us to speculate that the air currents moving past wind turbines, especially when the blades aren't moving, may resemble the air currents that are coming off of trees," Cryan says.

He says bats don't have great eyesight, and their echolocation does not work well beyond a few hundred feet, so the bats are likely relying more heavily on the feel of the wind currents to tell them whether the object is a tree or something else that would make a good roosting place.

He says it is important to understand bats' movements in these cases because it could give wind energy companies guidance on how they could reduce the number of bats their turbines kill.

Bats most often try to roost during periods of low wind, and, often, turbines are not turning at that time.

But many companies have them programs to start up when there are sporadic gusts of wind, causing them to hit the nearby bats.

If companies altered when the turbines turned on, then, it could save some bats from being killed.

There is also experimental technology aimed at deterring bats with high-pitched frequencies. Cryan says his research indicates those devices should be pointed toward the back of the turbinethe direction from which the bats tend to approach the wind turbine.

Some companies are already taking steps to reduce the number of bats they kill. BP Wind Energy, which operates Fowler Ridge Wind Farm, for example, is forming such a plan.

In Midwest states, doing so is also important because companies can be held accountable for killing endangered species, such as the Indiana bat.

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