Bat and Bird Interactions with Offshore Wind Energy Development

Nleisleri Bat (Credit: Jens Rydell)

This Educational Research Brief summarizes how birds and bats interact with wind turbines and how that relates to potential collision events and behavioral responses, including avoidance. Given the lack of empirical studies quantifying mortality at offshore wind turbines, inference was based on offshore activity patterns of birds and bats, collision risk from land-based wind farms, and mortality data from other offshore structures. In general, birds and bats respond differently to wind turbines and wind energy facilities, with some species of bats showing some level of attraction and some species of birds exhibiting attraction, displacement, or avoidance behaviors. The Brief also reviews how technologies (e.g., radar, thermal cameras) used to study the behavior of birds and bats may help refine monitoring and minimization strategies.

The Brief was reviewed by external subject matter experts (Dr. Pamela Loring, US Fish and Wildlife Service; Kate Williams, Biodiversity Research Institute; Dr. Trevor Peterson, Stantec; Robin Brabant, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences) and the SEER Science and Technical (S&T) Advisory Committee. These subject matter experts also participated in a panel discussion during the SEER Webinar on Bat and Bird Interactions with Offshore Wind Energy. 

The table below contains the relevant literature to this summary.

Title Author Date Content Type Technology Stressor Receptor
An Updated Review of Hypotheses Regarding Bat Attraction to Wind Turbines Guest, E., Stamps, B., Durish, N., Hale, A., Hein, C., Morton, B., Weaver, S., Fritts, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Attraction, Collision, Noise Bats
Influencing Activity of Bats by Dimly Lighting Wind Turbine Surfaces with Ultraviolet Light Cryan, P., Gorresen, P., Straw, B., Thao, S., DeGeorge, E. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Collision Bats
Assessing fatality minimization for hoary bats amid continued wind energy development Friedenberg, N., Frick, W. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
When speed matters: The importance of flight speed in an avian collision risk model Masden, E., Cook, A., McCluskie, A., Bouten, W., Burton, N., Thaxter, C. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Birds
Bat Workgroup Report for the State of the Science Workshop on Wildlife and Offshore Wind Energy 2020: Cumulative Impacts Hein, C., Williams, K., Jenkins, E. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Collision Bats
Atlantic Marine Assessment Program for Protected Species: FY15 – FY19 Palka, D., Aichinger Dias, L., Broughton, E., Chavez-Rosales, S., Cholewiak, D., Davis, G., DeAngelis, A., Garrison, L., Haas, H., Hatch, J., Hyder, K., Jech, M., Josephson, E., Mueller-Brennan, L., Orphanides, C., Pegg, N., Sasso, C., Sigourney, D., Soldevilla, M., Walsh, H. Report Habitat Change, Noise Marine Mammals, Cetaceans, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
The State of the Science on Operational Minimization to Reduce Bat Fatality at Wind Energy Facilities Whitby, M., Schirmacher, M., Frick, W. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Eagle fatalities are reduced by automated curtailment of wind turbines McClure, C., Rolek, B., Dunn, L., McCabe, J., Martinson, L., Katzner, T. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds, Raptors
Northern gannets (Morus bassanus) are strongly affected by operating offshore wind farms during the breeding season Peschko, V., Mendel, B., Mercker, M., Dierschke, J., Garthe, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Tracking Movements of Migratory Shorebirds in the U.S. Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Region Loring, P., Lenske, A., McLaren, D., Aikens, M., Anderson, A., Aubry, Y., Dalton, E., Dey, A., Friis, C., Hamilton, D., Holberton, R., Kriensky, D., Mizrahi, D., Niles, L., Parkins, K., Paquet, J., Sanders, F., Smith, A., Turcotte, Y., Vitz, A., Smith, P. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Birds, Shorebirds
An investigation into the potential for wind turbines to cause barotrauma in bats Lawson, M., Jenne, D., Thresher, R., Houck, D., Wimsatt, J., Straw, B. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision Bats
Estimating bat fatality at a Texas wind energy facility: implications transcending the United States–Mexico border Weaver, S., Jones, A., Hein, C., Castro-Arellano, I. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Ultrasonic acoustic deterrents significantly reduce bat fatalities at wind turbines Weaver, S., Hein, C., Simpson, T., Evans, J., Castro-Arellano, I. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
AWWI Technical Report: 2nd Edition: Summary of Bat Fatality Monitoring Data Contained in AWWIC Allison, T., Butryn, R. Report Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Bats
Stakeholder Workshop: Scientific Research Framework to Understand the Effects of Offshore Wind Energy Development on Birds and Bats in the Eastern United States New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Workshop Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change Bats, Birds
Paint it black: Efficacy of increased wind turbine rotor blade visibility to reduce avian fatalities May, R., Nygård, T., Falkdalen, U., Åström, J., Hamre, Ø., Stokke, B. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds, Passerines, Raptors, Waterfowl
Seabird Population Trends and Causes of Change: 1986-2018 Report Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) Report Collision, Habitat Change Birds
Assessing fatality risk of bats at offshore wind turbines Lagerveld, S., Noort, C., Meesters, L., Bach, L., Bach, P., Geelhoed, S. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Bats, Birds
Environmental Impacts of Offshore Wind Farms in the Belgian Part of the North Sea: Empirical Evidence Inspiring Priority Monitoring, Research and Management Degraer, S., Brabant, R., Rumes, B., Vigin, L. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Birds, Seabirds, Ecosystem Processes, Fish, Invertebrates, Physical Environment
Activity and behaviour of Nathusius' pipistrelle Pipistrellus nathusii at low and high altitude in a North Sea offshore wind farm Brabant, R., Laurent, Y., Poerink, B., Degraer, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Bats
Evaluation of an Acoustic Deterrent to Reduce Bat Mortalities at an Illinois Wind Farm Romano, W., Skalski, J., Townsend, R., Kinzie, K., Coppinger, K., Miller, M. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind 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
Wildlife and Wind Farms - Conflicts and Solutions, Volume 4. Offshore: Monitoring and Mitigation Perrow, M. Book Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Collision, Noise Bats, Birds, Seabirds, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals, Human Dimensions, Marine Spatial Planning
Wildlife and Wind Farms - Conflicts and Solutions, Volume 3. Offshore: Potential Effects Perrow, M. Book Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind, Floating Offshore Wind Changes in Flow, Chemicals, Collision, Displacement, EMF, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Physical Environment, Fish, Invertebrates, Marine Mammals
Collision and displacement vulnerability to offshore wind energy infrastructure among marine birds of the Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Kelsey, E., Felis, J., Czapanskiy, M., Pereksta, D., Adams, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Attraction, Avoidance, Collision, Displacement Birds
Quantifying avian avoidance of offshore wind turbines: Current evidence and key knowledge gaps Cook, A., Humphreys, E., Bennet, F., Masden, E., Burton, N. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Birds
Modeling At-Sea Density of Marine Birds to Support Atlantic Marine Renewable Energy Planning Winship, A., Kinlan, B., White, T., Leirness, J., Christensen, J. Report Marine Energy Birds
ORJIP Bird Collision and Avoidance Study Skov, H., Heinänen, S., Norman, T., Ward, R., Méndez-Roldán, S., Ellis, I. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Avoidance, Collision Birds, Seabirds
Predicting the impacts of wind farms on seabirds: An individual-based model Warwick-Evans, V., Atkinson, P., Walkington, I., Green, J. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision, Avoidance Seabirds, Birds
Fatalities at Wind Turbines may Threaten Population Viability of a Migratory Bat Frick, W., Baerwald, E., Pollock, J., Barclay, R., Szymanski, J., Weller, T., Russell, A., Loeb, S., Medellin, R., McGuire, L. Journal Article Wind Energy Collision Bats
Wildlife and Wind Farms - Conflicts and Solutions, Volume 1. Onshore: Potential Effects Perrow, M. Book Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision, Displacement, Habitat Change, Noise Bats, Birds, Ecosystem Processes, Physical Environment, Invertebrates, Reptiles, Terrestrial Mammals
Collision and Displacement Vulnerability Among Marine Birds of the California Current System Associated with Offshore Wind Energy Infrastructure Adams, J., Kelsey, E., Felis, J., Pereksta, D. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Displacement, Collision, Avoidance, Attraction Seabirds, Birds
Seabirds and Offshore Wind Farms in European Waters: Avoidance and Attraction Dierschke, V., Furness, R., Garthe, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Habitat Change, Avoidance, Attraction Seabirds, Birds
Wind Energy Development: Methods to Assess Bird and Bat Fatality Rates Post-Construction Huso, M., Dalthorp, D., Miller, T., Bruns, D. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Bats, Birds
Avian Fatalities at Wind Energy Facilities in North America: A Comparison of Recent Approaches Johnson, D., Loss, S., Smallwood, K., Erickson, W. Journal Article Wind Energy, Land-Based Wind Collision Birds
Long-term Bat Monitoring on Islands, Offshore Structures, and Coastal Sites in the Gulf of Maine, mid-Atlantic, and Great Lakes Peterson, T. Report Bats
Collision Risk Model for "rufa" Red Knots (Calidris canutus rufa) Interacting with a Proposed Offshore Wind Energy Facility in Nantucket Sound, Massachusetts Gordon, C., Nations, C. Report Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Birds, Shorebirds
Avian Collision Risk Models for Wind Energy Impact Assessments Masden, E., Cook, A. Journal Article Wind Energy Displacement, Collision, Avoidance Birds
A Unifying Framework for the Underlying Mechanisms of Avian Avoidance of Wind Turbines May, R. Journal Article Wind Energy Displacement, Avoidance Birds
Towards a Cumulative Collision Risk Assessment of Local and Migrating Birds in North Sea Offshore Wind Farms Brabant, R., Vanermen, N., Steinen, E., Degraer, S. Journal Article Wind Energy, Fixed Offshore Wind Collision Seabirds, Passerines, Birds
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