Bats and Wind Turbines: Adding Ecological Context to the Olfaction Hypothesis

Clerc, Jeff [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)]; Rogers, Elizabeth [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)]; Fuller, Nathan [US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley, MA (United States)]; Jonasson, Kristin [Brandon, FL (United States)]; Dempsey, Laura [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)]; Brokaw, Alyson F. [Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)]; Weller, Theodore J. [USDA Forest Service, Arcata, CA (United States)]

DOE OSTI · 2560364

Bats and Wind Turbines: Adding Ecological Context to the Olfaction Hypothesis

Clerc, Jeff [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)]·Rogers, Elizabeth [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)]·Fuller, Nathan [US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley, MA (United States)]·Jonasson, Kristin [Brandon, FL (United States)]·Dempsey, Laura [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)]·Brokaw, Alyson F. [Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)]·Weller, Theodore J. [USDA Forest Service, Arcata, CA (United States)]

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Abstract

Several hypotheses attempt to explain why bats collide with wind turbines. One recent hypothesis is that collisions result from bats scent marking turbines and that scent-marked turbines produce odor plumes that attract bats. This olfaction hypothesis is intriguing, but currently lacks the ecological context required to assess its plausibility. To provide context, we review when we expect Northern Hoary Bats and Mexican Free-tailed Bats to scent mark under natural conditions, and determine if our findings align with observations of bats interacting with wind turbines. We then consider the plausibility of scent-marked turbines creating odor plumes that attract bats. We conclude that it is unlikely that bats scent mark turbines intentionally in mid-flight or are attracted to scent markings on turbines.

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Clerc, Jeff [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)], Rogers, Elizabeth [Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)], Fuller, Nathan [US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley, MA (United States)], Jonasson, Kristin [Brandon, FL (United States)], Dempsey, Laura [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)], Brokaw, Alyson F. [Lehigh Univ., Bethlehem, PA (United States)], Weller, Theodore J. [USDA Forest Service, Arcata, CA (United States)]. 2025-01-01. Bats and Wind Turbines: Adding Ecological Context to the Olfaction Hypothesis. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/2560364

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