Traffic noise reduces bats' ability to feed

Experiment finds species try to avoid audible road sounds

The thunder of road traffic is likely to drive away bats, according to a study, which found vehicle noise caused bat activity to decrease by two-thirds.

While environmental assessments of new roads focus on the danger of habitat fragmentation, or bats colliding with traffic, the first ever controlled field experiment to investigate the impact of vehicle noise suggests noise pollution could be highly damaging.