Evening Bats (Nycticeius humeralis) Use Bird Nest Boxes as Day Roosts in Northeastern Arkansas

Abstract

Forest bats, including evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis), sometimes roost in manmade structures, such as barns and bridges, but here we report the first observations of evening bats using bird nest boxes for roosting on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2019, a few kilometers north of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Most encounters were in August, when the nesting season is almost finished. We discuss timing and factors that may explain use of bird nest boxes for roosting by bats.