Radar for bats

Bats at risk of being killed by the growing number of wind farms could be saved with the use of radars.

Bat deaths at wind farms are thought to exceed those of birds and it is feared some species could eventually become endangered if action is not taken.

Now researchers at Aberdeen University believe radar may be key.

They studied the behaviour of bats at radar installations and found they did not forage where electromagnetic radiation could be measured.

Bat experts Prof Paul Racey and Dr Barry Nicholls studied bats at various distances from 10 radar installations across Scotland. They said they found bats foraged where no radiation was detectable.

Prof Racey, of Aberdeen's school of biological sciences, said: "We found that the bats were deterred by the electromagnetic radiation emitted from the radar installations. This raises the possibility that radar could be used to deter bats from approaching wind turbines. And so far this would appear to be the only real possibility of preventing bats colliding with turbine blades worldwide."