Data from: Geographic source of bats killed at wind-energy facilities in the eastern United States

Bats subject to high rates of fatalities at wind-energy facilities are of conservation concern, but the impact on broader bat populations is difficult to assess. One reason is the poor understanding of the geographic source of individual fatalities and whether they constitute local resident individuals or migrants. Here, we used stable hydrogen isotopes, trace elements and species distribution models to determine the summer geographic origins of three different bat species (Lasiurus borealis, L. cinereus, and Lasionycteris noctivagans) killed at wind-energy facilities in Ohio and Maryland in the eastern United States. In Ohio, 58.4%, 78.7%, and 97.8% of all individuals of L. borealis, L. cinereus, and L. noctivagans, respectively, lacked evidence of movement and were likely residents. In contrast, in Maryland 22.7%, 62.9% and 72.7% of these same species were classified as residents. Our results suggest that a substantial portion of bats killed at a given wind facility are likely derived from resident populations. Finally, there is variation in the proportion of residents killed between seasons for some species and evidence of philopatry to summer roosts. Overall, these results indicate that impact of wind-energy facilities on resident bat populations may be greater than previously appreciated, but this impact is likely to vary across species and sites. Similar studies should be conducted across a boarder geographic scale to understand the impacts on bat populations from wind-energy facilities.