Data from: Bird and bat species' global vulnerability to collision mortality at wind farms revealed through a trait-based assessment

Mitigation of anthropogenic climate change involves deployments of
renewable energy worldwide, including wind farms, which can pose a
significant collision risk to volant animals. Most studies into the
collision risk between species and wind turbines, however, have taken
place in industrialized countries. Potential effects for many locations
and species therefore remain unclear. To redress this gap, we conducted a
systematic literature review of recorded collisions between birds and bats
and wind turbines within developed countries. We related collision rate to
species-level traits and turbine characteristics to quantify the potential
vulnerability of 9538 bird and 888 bat species globally. Avian collision
rate was affected by migratory strategy, dispersal distance and habitat
associations, and bat collision rates were influenced by dispersal
distance. For birds and bats, larger turbine capacity (megawatts)
increased collision rates; however, deploying a smaller number of large
turbines with greater energy output reduced total collision risk per unit
energy output, although bat mortality increased again with the largest
turbines. Areas with high concentrations of vulnerable species were also
identified, including migration corridors. Our results can therefore guide
wind farm design and location to reduce the risk of large-scale animal
mortality. This is the first quantitative global assessment of the
relative collision vulnerability of species groups with wind turbines,
providing valuable guidance for minimizing potentially serious negative
impacts on biodiversity.