Bat migrations have long been a subject of interest for scientists, but tracking these nocturnal creatures has proven to be a challenging task. A new study published in Science aims to shed light on the migration patterns of one of Europe’s most widespread bat species, the common noctule.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior used tiny transmitters weighing just 1 gram, smaller than a golf ball, to track the bats’ movements. The tags, attached by temporary glue, recorded the bats’ acceleration and temperature over time and sent daily summaries via the Internet of Things network.
The study revealed that the common noctule takes advantage of tailwinds across Europe to travel up to 1000 kilometers in search of suitable breeding grounds. Notably, the bats adjusted their timing depending on the weather, with warmer conditions prompting them to “surf” on the air being pushed ahead of the front.
The findings provide valuable insights into the environmental conditions that prompt bat migration and may help researchers better understand how to protect these animals from wind turbines. The study’s success also complements a previous research on another migrating bat species, which found that similar bats surf warm fronts as they cross the English Channel into Europe.
This breakthrough technology has the potential to revolutionize the tracking of bat movements and provide answers to many questions about migration. As evolutionary biologist Michael Ryan notes, “Their lives are much more complicated than that,” highlighting the complexity and nuance of these fascinating creatures’ migrations.
Source: https://www.science.org/content/article/migrating-bats-surf-warm-winds-soar-hundreds-kilometers