Bats at Brinton Run Preserve

Bats play a complex yet essential role in healthy ecosystems across North America as they provide a variety of benefits. Two primary ecological benefits bats provide to our natural ecosystems include:

1. Pest control: Most bats are insectivorous and typically consume a variety of nocturnal insects and agricultural pests including moths, crickets, beetles, and ants.
2. Pollination: Primarily consuming insects, some bats also consume nectar and become pollinators in the process as they land on flowers and other crops. This is particularly important in the Southwestern U.S. ecosystems and less prevalent across much of North America.

Inherently, bats are beautiful and important members of the habitats where they live and are uniquely evolved animals, being the only mammal capable of true flight.

To understand the species living in our local environment, North American Land Trust (NALT) staff installed bioacoustics recorders to document and monitor the bats present at Brinton Run Preserve (BRP), our public preserve in Chadds Ford, PA.

NALT biologists Matt Stutzman, Wyatt Moyer, and intern Nino Tomlin installed two  Wildlife Acoustics, Inc.  Song Meter recording devices in our fields at Brinton Run Preserve to collect data over a 30-day period. The ultrasonic sound frequencies that bats transmit through echolocation allow NALT staff to make inferences on what bat species are using the property and the data we collect will help influence future management strategies at the preserve.

Each bioacoustics recorder contains an ultrasonic microphone that captures the high frequency sound waves that bats emit during echolocation, which are outside of the capabilities of human ears. These echolocation calls are produced by bats when flying and foraging to assist in prey capture and to communicate with other bats.

Once deployed, the recorders are programmed to begin recording an hour before dark and an hour after sunrise, tracking all soundwaves captured throughout the night. The time intervals allow the recorders to capture data for weeks at a time, conserving battery life throughout the day. Once field data is collected, staff members analyze soundwaves using the  Wildlife Acoustics  Kaleidoscope Pro software, with set parameters to identify bat species within the known range. The software also omits unnecessary 'noise' that is collected, such as lawn mowers or dogs barking, to reach a confidence rating to accurately identify the bat species.

Using these techniques, NALT biologists Matt Stutzman and Wyatt Moyer were able to confirm the presence of 7 species of bats at Brinton Run Preserve using this bioacoustics technology.

White-Nose Syndrome (Pseudogymnoascus destructans, Pd) is a fungal disease infecting bats and causing a rapid decline in bat populations all across North America. White-nose syndrome primarily impacts cave-dwelling or cave-visiting species, and is not a significant threat to all North American bats.

White-nose syndrome (WNS) is the main threat to a portion of bat species across North America since it was first discovered in New York in 2006. It has been responsible for the death of millions of bats and is considered one of the worst wildlife diseases in the past century.

The primary symptom is the white fuzzy fungal growth that can appear on their nose, ears, and wings, which is where the name of the disease is derived from. The fungal growth is not the only visible indicator as this disease can also rouse bats from their hibernation. This unusual behavior can be identified as bats may be spotted flying outside during the day in winter weather. Unfortunately, this can result in starvation as the bats will use up their winter fat stores early if disturbed by the disease.

If you encounter a bat showing signs of any of these symptoms, it is recommended that you do not handle it and that you report the sighting to your local wildlife department.

• Habitat loss due to human encroachment, logging, and habitat modification.
• Forest fragmentation.
• Loss of mature hardwood and other roosting habitat.
• Pesticide use.
• Insect loss, i.e., the loss of their primary food source.
• Collisions during migration.
• Wind turbines fatalities.

• Eliminate pesticide use.
• Grow native plants.
• Practice bat-friendly and sustainable forestry and land-use.
• Preserve natural habitat.
• Preserve intact large and old growth forests.
• Leave the Leaves! (for leaf litter roosters).

Learn more about bats at Bat Conservation International:

 https://www.batcon.org/ 

Learn more about Brinton Run here:

 https://northamericanlandtrust.org/explore/brinton-run-preserve/ 

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