Several studies have documented bats exhibiting either attraction or avoidance behaviors near wind farms or wind turbines. In some cases, bats frequently approach wind turbines, possibly to investigate structures such as the tower or blades. While multiple hypotheses exist based on behaviors such as foraging, roosting, or mating, no single explanation fits all species or conditions. Environmental factors like prey availability, habitat type, and wind conditions also shape behavioral responses. For example, the common noctules (Nyctalus noctula) and hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) may perceive turbines as potential roosting sites, foraging areas, or locations for mating or other social interactions, increasing collision risk. In contrast, several species of Myotis and the brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) may avoid wind turbines because of habitat changes or operational noise. Understanding these patterns is vital for developing mitigation strategies that support both bat conservation and renewable energy goals.
The table below contains the literature relevant to this summary document and will continue to be updated as new literature is added to Tethys.
| Title | Author | Date Sort ascending | Content Type | Technology | Stressor | Receptor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airflow Dynamics and Bat Behavior Near Wind Energy Turbines and Trees | Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Impacts of offshore wind farms on migratory bats in British waters | Hooker, J., Lintott, P., Boughey, K., Worledge, L., Park, K., Collins, J. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Lighting | Bats | |
| Wind Energy Interactions with Wildlife Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Based on the State of the Science | Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute (REWI) | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Noise | Bats, Birds | |
| CWW 2025 Book of Abstract | Conference on Wind Energy and Wildlife Impact | Conference Paper | Wind Energy | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise, Vessel Strike | Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Water Quality, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Life Cycle Assessment, Marine Spatial Planning, Recreation & Tourism, Stakeholder Engagement | |
| Floating Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure | Nielsen, K., Robertson, B., Sierman, J., Sliger, J., Kruse, S., Burright, J., Douville, T., Cooperman, A., Copping, A., Farr, H., Barth, J., Raghukumar, K., Adams, G., Escajeda, E. , Jacobson, A., Kramer, S., Severy, M., Henkel, S., Newton, K., Chapple, T. , Heppell, S. , Heppel, S. , Davis, L., Hazboun, S., Boudet, H. | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Engagement | |
| Avoidance & Minimisation of Environmental Impacts from Offshore Wind & Grid Infrastructure | Offshore Coalition For Energy & Nature (OCEaN) | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning, Stakeholder Engagement | |
| Commercial Wind Lease Issuance and Site Assessment Activities on the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Offshore Maine | Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), US Department of the Interior (DOI) | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise | Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Demersal Fish, Pelagic Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Pinnipeds, Physical Environment, Water Quality, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Stakeholder Engagement | |
| AB 525 Offshore Wind Strategic Plan | Jones, M., Bartridge, J., Walker, L. | Report | Wind Energy | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Lighting, Noise, Vessel Strike | Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment, Fisheries, Legal & Policy, Marine Spatial Planning, Navigation, Recreation & Tourism, Social & Economic Data, Visual Impacts | |
| Distribution of common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) activity is altered by airflow disruption generated by wind turbines | Leroux, C., Barre, K., Valet, N., Kerbiriou, C., Le Viol, I. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance | Bats | |
| A framework for studying the effects of offshore wind energy development on birds and bats in the Eastern United States | Williams, K., Gulka, J., Cook, A., Diehl, R., Farnsworth, A., Goyert, H., Hein, C., Loring, P., Mizrahi, D., Petersen, I., Peterson, T., Press, K., Stenhouse, I. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement | Bats, Birds | |
| Wozep Ecological Programme: Knowledge day Wozep/MONS 2024 | Offshore Wind Ecological Programme (Wozep) | Presentation | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport | |
| Integrated Science Plan for Offshore Wind, Wildlife, and Habitat in U.S. Atlantic Waters | Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind (RWSC) | Webpage | Wind Energy | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Entanglement, Noise, Vessel Strike | Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Reptiles, Sea Turtles | |
| Maritime Spatial Planning in Europe: Discussion Paper on the Challenges and Potential Opportunities Around the Colocation of Offshore Wind Energy with Marine Protected Areas | Stephenson, P. | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Noise | Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Fisheries, Marine Spatial Planning | |
| 2023 North American State of the Bats Report | Bat Conservation International | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Suivi environnemental 2022: Suivi de la mortalité - Parc éolien de la Vallée de Torfou | Habert, T., Yann, M. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds, Ground-Nesting Birds, Passerines, Raptors | |
| Distance to hedgerows drives local repulsion and attraction of wind turbines on bats: Implications for spatial siting | Leroux, C., Kerbiriou, C., Le Viol, I., Valet, N., Barre, K. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| A Miniature Radio-Frequency Transmitter for Environmental Permitting and Mitigation of Wind Energy | Deng, D., Lu, J., Duberstein, C., Whitbread, H., Martinez, J., Wu, B., Li, H., Fu, T., Myjak, M., Li, X., Xiao, J. | Presentation | Wind Energy | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| A Review of Biodiversity Data Needs and Monitoring Protocols for the Offshore Wind Energy Sector in the Baltic Sea and North Sea | Stephenson, P. | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Entanglement, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Water Quality | |
| Land-Based Wind Energy Siting: A Foundational and Technical Resource | Christol, C., Oteri, F., Laurienti, M. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Stakeholder Engagement, Visual Impacts | |
| Research Goals for Studying Bat Behavior at the Wind Turbine-scale | Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative (BWEC) | Report | Wind Energy | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Peaks in bat activity at turbines and the implications for mitigating the impact of wind energy developments on bats | Richardson, S., Lintott, P., Hosken, D., Economou, T., Mathews, F. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| ThermalTracker-3D: A thermal stereo vision system for quantifying bird and bat activity at offshore wind energy sites | Matzner, S., Warfel, T., Hull, R. | Journal Article | Wind Energy | Attraction, Avoidance | Bats, Birds | |
| Influence of landscape and time of year on bat-wind turbines collision risks | Roemer, C., Bas, Y., Disca, T., Coulon, A. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats | |
| Impacts to Wildlife of Wind Energy Siting and Operation in the United States | Allison, T., Diffendorfer, J., Baerwald, E., Beston, J., Drake, D., Hale, A., Hein, C., Huso, M., Loss, S., Lovich, J., Strickland, M., Williams, K., Winder, V. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds | |
| Floating Offshore Wind Energy Technology: Innovation to Commercialization | Northeastern University | Conference Paper | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision | Bats, Birds | |
| Estimating habitat loss due to wind turbine avoidance by bats: Implications for European siting guidance | Barre, K., Le Viol, I., Bas, Y., Julliard, R., Kerbiriou, C. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| Impacts of onshore wind energy production on birds and bats: recommendations for future life cycle impact assessment developments | Laranjeiro, T., May, R., Verones, F. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds | |
| Environmental Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms in the Belgian Part of the North Sea: Assessing and Managing Effect Spheres of Influence | Degraer, S., Brabant, R., Rumes, B., Vigin, L. | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment, Sediment Transport, Human Dimensions, Environmental Impact Assessment | |
| Bird and Bat Species' Global Vulnerability to Collision Mortality at Wind Farms Revealed Through a Trait-Based Assessment | Thaxter, C., Buchanan, G., Carr, J., Butchart, S., Newbold, T., Green, R., Tobias, J., Foden, W., O'Brien, S., Pearce-Higgins, J. | Journal Article | Wind Energy | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement | Bats, Birds | |
| Acoustic mirrors as sensory traps for bats | Greif, S., Zsebok, S. | Journal Article | Wind Energy | Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Bats | |
| Project Icebreaker Bird and Bat Risk Analysis | Gordon, C., Erickson, W. | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Displacement | Bats, Birds | |
| The Impacts of Small and Medium Wind Turbines on Bats | Moyle, A. | Thesis | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Habitat Change, Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Bats | |
| Framework for Testing the Effectiveness of Bat and Eagle Impact-Reduction Strategies at Wind Energy Projects | Sinclair, K., DeGeorge, E. | Report | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Raptors, Birds, Bats | |
| Environmental impacts of offshore wind farms in the Belgian part of the North Sea: Environmental impact monitoring reloaded | Degraer, S., Brabant, R., Rumes, B., Vigin, L. | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change, Noise | Bats, Birds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Physical Environment, Human Dimensions, Fisheries | |
| Impacts to Birds and Bats Due to Collisions and Electrocutions from Some Tall Structures in the United States: Wires, Towers, Turbines, and Solar Arrays - State of the Art in Addressing the Problems | Manville, A. | Book Chapter | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Habitat Change, Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Birds, Bats | |
| How to Mitigate Impacts of Wind Farms on Bats? A Review of Potential Conservation Measures in the European Context | Peste, F., Paula, A., Pinto da Silva, P., Bernardino, J., Pereira, P., Mascarenhas, M., Costa, H., Vieira, J., Bastos, C., Fonseca, C., Pereira, M. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Bats | |
| Behavior of Bats at Wind Turbines | Cryan, P., Gorresen, P., Hein, C., Schirmacher, M., Diehl, R., Huso, M., Hayman, D., Fricker, P., Bonaccorso, F., Johnson, D., Heist, K., Dalton, D. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Changes in Flow, Collision, Displacement | Bats | |
| Interspecific effects of forest fragmentation on bats | Segers, J., Broders, H. | Journal Article | Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Habitat Change | Bats | |
| Construction and Post-Construction Avian and Bat Monitoring Plan Block Island Wind Farm | Tetra Tech Inc. | Report | Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind | Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change | Bats, Birds, Physical Environment | |
| Impacts of Wind Energy Development on Bats: Implications for Conservation | Arnett, E., Baerwald, E. | Book Chapter | Wind Energy | Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction | Bats |