Roads represent a significant barrier for many wild animals and, at the same time, a place of increased risk of mortality. Birds and bats cross roads during their flights, where fatal collisions with passing vehicles may occur. Researchers from The Faculty of Science Masaryk University are therefore, as part of a project focused on the protection of flying vertebrates in the Czech-Saxon border region, seeking ways to effectively reduce these risks.
One of the outcomes of the project is the identification of sites where flying vertebrates collide with traffic and the development of tools that will enable better assessment of these high-risk sites. The researchers are focusing on verifying the effectiveness of various types of protective measures along roads. The knowledge gained may help in planning new roads as well as in modifying existing transport infrastructure.
„Our aim is not only to describe the locations where collisions occur, but above all to offer tools and recommendations that can be used in practice. The project results show where the protection of flying vertebrates is most needed and what measures may be effective at specific sites,“ explains the project’s principal investigator, Associate Professor Tomáš Bartonička from The Faculty of Science Masaryk University.
An important part of the project is cooperation with organizations involved in the planning, construction and management of transport infrastructure, as well as with nature conservation authorities. It is precisely the combination of research findings with the practical experience of road administrators and nature conservation institutions that makes it possible to seek solutions that can be applied under real-world conditions.
The project results will also be presented at the expert seminar “Protection of flying vertebrates during the construction and management of linear infrastructure”, which will take place on 21 September 2026 at the Liberec Regional Authority. The seminar will focus on methodologies for assessing the impact of road infrastructure on birds and bats, identifying sites with a high risk of traffic-related mortality, and possibilities for applying mitigation measures. The programme will also include case studies from the perspectives of road administrators and nature conservation authorities.
„Linking the results of biological research with practical applications is essential for us. At the seminar, we want to show not only the project results themselves, but above all how they can be used when making decisions about specific transport infrastructure projects and in nature conservation,“ says Tomáš Bartonička.
The project also focuses on raising public awareness of bird and bat conservation. On 5 September 2026, the popular science seminar „Wings in the shadow of civilization, or the impact of humans on birds and bats“ will take place at the North Bohemian Museum in Liberec. Visitors will learn how human activities, landscape changes and urbanization affect the lives of flying vertebrates and what conservation options are available. The programme will include lectures, demonstrations of bird specimens, and encounters with live bats.
„We want to show the public that protecting birds and bats is not only a matter of scientific studies and technical measures. These animals are also a natural part of our landscape, and it is important to understand how our activities affect their lives,“ adds Tomáš Bartonička.
The project results will also be shared with German partners. An expert seminar is being prepared in Dresden for 7 October 2026, providing an opportunity to present the project results and discuss their application in the conditions of both countries. Cross-border cooperation is particularly important because the migration corridors of flying vertebrates do not end at national borders, and their protection therefore requires a coordinated approach.
Project: Preserving safe migration corridors for flying vertebrates in the Czech-Saxon border region (registration number 100692797).
The project will run until the end of 2026 and is funded by the European Union with approximately EUR 752,000 under the Interreg Czechia-Saxony (2021-2027) programme, Priority Axis 2: Climate Change and Sustainability. The lead partner is Masaryk University (Faculty of Science), while the cooperation partners are the Transport Research Centre, Brno, and the Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung. Strategic partners include the Directorate of Roads and Motorways (ŘSD), the Karlovy Vary and Liberec Regional Authorities, and the Saxon State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG).
Tomáš Bartonička: At the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University, he works as an associate professor and head of the Vertebrate Research Unit. His professional activities focus on ecology and zoology, including research on bats and their ecology. He is the author and co-author of numerous scientific publications and is also involved in teaching and supervising student theses. He is currently the principal investigator of the project Preserving Safe Migration Corridors for Flying Vertebrates in the Czech-Saxon Border Region, which focuses, among other things, on protecting birds and bats from collisions with transport infrastructure.
Research carried out by two PhD students from Masaryk University’s Faculty of Science attracted attention at this year’s NANOCON international conference. Pavel Špaček, from the Department of Biochemistry, and Tereza Rybová, from the Department of Plasma Physics and Technology, both received awards at...
which will take place from 3:00 pm on Monday, 19th October 2026 in Dean's office meeting room (1/2010) in building 1 of Kotlářská campus.
