Survey of bat mortalities at a wind-energy facility in North Dakota

Abstract

In recent years, the wind-energy industry has rapidly expanded around the world, and studies assessing potential wildlife impacts have documented that bats are especially susceptible to injury and mortality near wind turbines. The rapid construction of many wind facilities in North Dakota, one of the states with the highest wind-energy potential, is of concern because little is known about the distribution and ecology of bats in North Dakota, and no research has assessed turbine-related impacts in the state. The objective of this research was to make preliminary assessments of bat fatalities at a wind facility in North Dakota. Six surveys were conducted at 12 turbines within an operational wind facility in South-central North Dakota from 25 July to 12 September 2010. In total, we discovered nine bat carcasses from two species. Although our data do not assess fatality rates, these findings do point to a need for future research on the impacts of the growing wind-energy industry in North Dakota.