Acoustic bat detection systems have become essential for understanding bat activity and implementing appropriate protection measures around wind farms.
Yet, very few studies have compared their performance, even though these devices directly influence the quality of the data used to predict bat activity and define effective curtailment strategies.
Biodiv-Wind conducted a comparative study based on the protocol established by Disca (2023), incorporating a more recent device, the Smart System from Wildlife Acoustics.
The results reveal significant performance differences between the tested systems, but these variations do not impact the overall trends observed in predictive models.
This study highlights the importance of systematically specifying the equipment and settings used in bat research.
Such transparency is essential to ensuring the robustness of predictive models and the effectiveness of impact reduction measures for wildlife, just as it is already standard practice for bird detection systems.
We are pleased to have engaged our experts in this fascinating topic and to contribute to a better coexistence between renewable energy and biodiversity.
