Abstract
Little is known about the migration and movements of migratory tree-roosting bat species in North America, though anecdotal observations of migrating bats over the Atlantic Ocean have been reported since at least the 1890s. Aerial surveys and boat-based surveys of wildlife off the Atlantic Seaboard detected a possible diurnal migration event of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis) in September 2012. One bat was sighted approximately 44 km east of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware during a boat-based survey. Eleven additional bats were observed between 16.9 and 41.8 km east of New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia in high definition video footage collected during digital aerial surveys. Observations were collected incidentally as part of a large baseline study of seabird, marine mammal, and sea turtle distributions and movements in the offshore environment. Digital survey methods also allowed for altitude estimation for several of these bats at >100 m above sea level. These observations provide new evidence of bat movements offshore, and offer insight into their flight heights above sea level and the times of day at which such migrations may occur.
Highlights
Nine species of insectivorous bats occur in the northeastern United States, including cave-dwelling bats and migratory treeroosting bats [1]
Due to technical limitations associated with tracking the movements of small, highly mobile species over long distances, very little is known of their migratory pathways [4]
Aerial surveys were conducted at an altitude of 610 m, using an array of four super high-definition video cameras facing forward at 30-45° from vertical in a specially designed air frame secured to the lower fuselage of a twinengine Cessna aircraft
Summary
Nine species of insectivorous bats occur in the northeastern United States, including cave-dwelling bats and migratory treeroosting bats (hereafter, “tree bats”) [1]. Tree bats include the eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis), hoary bat (L. cinereus), and silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctavigans). These species tend to be solitary and are known to migrate long distances, rather than hibernating in caves during the winter months [2,3]. Of the three tree bat species, the eastern red bat (hereafter, “red bat”) is the most frequently encountered species off the Atlantic Seaboard during autumn migration (Table S1) In the winter, this species occurs south of the Ohio River Valley [5] with concentrations along the coastal regions of the Atlantic Seaboard, Bermuda, and the Gulf of Mexico [3,6]. Aside from clues provided by observed mortalities at buildings, wind facilities, collisions with aircraft [3,7,8,9], and the collection dates and locations of eastern red bat museum specimens, very little is known about the actual migratory movements and pathways of this species [3]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
