Bat fatalities at wind farms prove unpredictable

This is photo of a wind farm, which are a threat to bats.

Credit: Fiona Mathews

Bat fatalities at wind farms prove unpredictable: Costly ecological impact assessments (EcIAs) completed prior to the building of wind farms have failed to protect bats from fatal collisions with the spinning blades. Researchers say that, for reasons that aren't yet entirely clear, that's because surveys of bat activity conducted only before building begins are poor predictors of future bat fatalities.