A study of the impact of wind turbines in the Borders on three rare and
endangered species of bat will begin next month.
It has been commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage and will be carried
out by the Norfolk-based British Trust for Ornithology – one of five
bidders for the £88,000 contract.
There are currently around 600 turbines either operating or consented in
the Borders.
The research will cover the whole of the South of Scotland and gather data
on two species of the Nyctalus genus – Leisler’s Bat and the Noctule –
along with the migratory Nathusius’ Pipistrelle.
“Given their rarity and their vulnerability to wind turbines, there is an
urgent need for better, more comprehensive information of their [the bats’]
respective ranges,” said a spokesperson for SNH.
A report on the findings will be published in March, 2017.
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