Mapping bird and bat assemblage vulnerability for predicting wind energy impact 

Highlights

• Passerines and raptors faced the highest bird casualties with griffon vultures most affected.
• Vespertilionidae bats accounted for 94 percent of deaths with P.pipistrellus most affected.
• Birds with aerial lifestyles and trophic levels correlated with turbine collisions.
• Bat mortality in wind turbines was related to guild-type.
• High vulnerability areas for birds and bats are in southern southeastern and northern Spain.

Abstract: We examined the main ecological traits linked to wind turbine mortality in 214 bird and 19 bat species in peninsular Spain. We assessed the vulnerability of bird and bat assemblages to help understand the potential impact of wind energy development on the most vulnerable assemblages. Our findings indicate that bird and bat casualties were driven by morphological and ecological traits. For birds, scavenger species, those with partial migratory patterns, and aerial lifestyles were most affected by turbine collisions. We also found that vulnerability was positively correlated with observed mortality rates at the province level, but the effect was weaker for birds. Sensitive areas for birds and bats are located in southern, south-eastern, and central Spain, with birds showing additional vulnerability in western and northern regions, while future wind energy development affects bats more in eastern Spain. Our research highlights the importance of mitigating impacts on vulnerable bird and bat species, as well as abundant species. The study highlights the potential risk of ecosystem function loss for bird and bat assemblages due to wind energy projects. We provide spatial tools to identify high-vulnerability areas, guiding energy development to minimize ecological impacts. This work calls on authorities to implement measures to protect species and preserve essential ecosystem functions.

Jon Morant, Lara Naves-Alegre, Henar Macías García, Elena Tena, Sonia Sánchez-Navarro, Jesús Nogueras, Carlos Ibáñez, Esther Sebastián-González, Juan Manuel Pérez-García
Department of Ecology, Applied Biology. Miguel Hernández University, Elche, Spain
Department of Ecology, University of Alicante, Spain
University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
Department of Ecology and Evolution, Doñana Biological Station, Sevilla, Spain

Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 380, April 2025, 124961
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2025.124961