Seasonality and the Behavior of the African Yellow-Winged Bat

Abstract

The African yellow-winged bat ( Lavia frons ) was observed in Kenya, East Africa, through one wet and one dry season (December 1982 to July 1983). This opportunistic, sit-and-wait predator typically forages from the crowns of Acacia tortilis and captures insects through a broad range of elevations by brief, precise interceptions. Lavia is monogamous. Members of a pair roost together in a territory defended by the male, forage either separately or together, and share the territory for some 3 months with the single young. Acacia tortilis responds to erratic dry-season rains by flowering and growing new leaves; attending brief bursts of insect abundance may be of crucial importance to Lavia during dry-season energy bottlenecks. Many of the most distinctive aspects of the life history of Lavia —monogamy, territoriality, the division of labor, opportunistic foraging, a long mother-young association, and a close association between Lavia and A. tortilis —probably are adaptations to recurring periods of energy stress.