Dr. Craig Willis
Professor of Biology
University of Winnipeg

2025 is the year for Manitoba to protect migratory bats!

We need renewable energy sources in the fight against climate change and wind power is one of these sources. Unfortunately, though, in North America every year industrial wind turbines kill hundreds of thousands of migratory bats of three species. As a result, these species, including the incredible hoary bat (pictured at top right) have been recommended as 'endangered' or 'at imminent risk of extinction or extirpation' by COSEWIC, the committee of experts who use the best science to evaluate the status of Canadian wildlife.

With that recommendation, and a new provincial Clean Energy Strategy, now is the time for Manitoba to catch up with other jurisdictions in Canada and establish clear guidelines and directives to help the wind industry fight climate change while reducing, if not eliminating, mortality of bats.

The good news? It’s not that hard! Conveniently, virtually all bat mortality at turbines happens during the short window of fall migration (late July to early October) and, of course, bats are only flying at night. Even better, bats don’t like to fly in high winds so most mortality happens in low winds when the turbines have just started spinning and are generating little electricity. Studies have shown tremendous reductions in bat mortality, at very low cost, with well-designed ‘curtailment’ strategies that include raising the ‘cut-in speed’ (i.e., the minimum speed at which turbines start spinning). Importantly, this only needs to happen at night and only during the fall migration period which represents a tiny fraction of annual power production time. In other words, it’s a bargain!

Smart guidelines will allow us to benefit from renewable wind energy without losing these amazing animals and the important ecological job they do for us – North American bats are worth billions of dollars in pest control for agriculture. This is why Alberta decided years ago to collaborate with biologists from the University of Calgary and other organizations to implement clear, science-based guidelines and directives for all existing and planned wind facilities. Manitoba does not need to re-invent the wheel. We should adopt Alberta’s guidelines immediately so our province can hit the ground running on the new Clean Energy Strategy while protecting amazing animals and the important job they do for us ecologically.

You can help! Please email, call and/or write your MLA and the following Cabinet Ministers, share the Alberta guideline links with them, and ask them to implement Alberta's bats and wind power guidelines for Manitoba.

Hon. Wab Kinew, Premier and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and International Relations and Minister responsible for Indigenous Reconciliation

Hon. Ian Bushie, Minister of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures

Hon. Mike Moyes, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Find your MLA

Evolutionary Physiology, Behaviour and Conservation

We use methods in ecology, behaviour and physiology to understand what motivates small bodied mammals in their decisions about where to live, when to be active and inactive, and how to maintain a balance between energy intake and expenditure. We primarily study insect-eating bats and use a range of lab and field techniques including radio-telemetry to track animals and record their body temperatures, and open-flow respirometry to record oxygen consumption under different conditions. There are opportunities in the lab for graduate and undergraduate students to test ideas about energy balance during pre-hibernation fattening and hibernation, links between individual behaviour, energetics and infectious disease, and conservation of bats in the face of wildlife disease and habitat loss.

Our work is important for wildlife and ecosystem conservation in general, and we are also working hard on an urgent wildlife conservation issue for North America: white-nose syndrome, a devastating disease of hibernating bats.

Got Bats?

The Neighbourhood Bat Watch is looking for bat colonies across Canada. Please click here for more information and to get involved in wildlife conservation research.