Wildlife

Wild Animal Welfare and UK Migratory Bat Species

UK migratory bat species including Nathusius' pipistrelle face welfare challenges during long-distance migrations between summer and winter roosts.

Key Facts

Nathusius' pipistrelle migrates up to 2,000 km between summer roosts in the Baltic and winter roosts in the UK
Wind turbines pose a significant mortality risk to migratory bats on migration routes
Radar-triggered wind turbine curtailment can reduce bat mortality by over 60%
Migratory bats face predation, weather events, and roost finding challenges during migration
Bat monitoring on migration routes provides welfare data on migratory species abundance

Welfare Considerations

Migratory bat welfare requires attention to the challenges of long-distance migration including turbine mortality. Targeted turbine management and monitoring reduce these preventable welfare harms.

What You Can Do

Support bat-sensitive wind turbine curtailment requirements
Advocate for bat radar-triggered turbine curtailment as a standard planning requirement
Support Bat Conservation Trust migratory bat monitoring programs