Telemetry research on Nathusius’ pipistrelle in relation to offshore wind farms

Summary

Rijkswaterstaat is commissioning telemetry research on Nathusius’ pipistrelles to investigate their migration routes, movements and use of the North Sea, and to improve assessment of offshore wind farm effects on the population. During the autumn migrations of 2027–2030, bats will be captured along the Dutch coast, fitted with MOTUS transmitters and DNA-sampled; the target is at least 100 and preferably 150 bats per year. The work also covers MOTUS network checks, analysis of movement and detection data, annual and final reports, and data delivery. The contract is for four years, with options to extend it twice by one year.