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

Jeff Clerc^1,*, Elizabeth Rogers², Nathan Fuller³, Kristin Jonasson⁴, Laura Dempsey¹, Alyson F. Brokaw⁵, and Theodore J. Weller⁶

¹National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401. ²Organismic and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA 01003. ³US Fish and Wildlife Service, Hadley, MA 01035. ⁴209 Cindy Lane, Brandon, FL 33510. ⁵Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18085. ⁶USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Arcata, CA 95521.^*Corresponding author.

Journal of North American Bat Research Notes, Volume 3 (2025):N1–N7

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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