If you’ve sat around a campfire well after the sun has gone down, or looked out over the water as the moon rises and the stars reveal themselves overhead, you know that the world around you doesn’t just fall silent for the night. While we humans, and much of the wildlife we commonly see during the day, start preparing to go to sleep, many critters are just waking up. Although most of us aren’t as familiar with these nighttime creatures, you’ve probably heard the calls of spring peepers, bullfrogs, whip-poor-wills, woodcocks, and many others. And if you are lucky, maybe you have seen bats flying overhead!
Bats are amazing and important animals, unfortunately some of Ontario’s bats are at risk. Four of Ontario’s bat species are now endangered including: little brown myotis, northern myotis, tri-coloured, and eastern small-footed bats. These species experienced mass die-offs because of white-nosed syndrome – a fungus introduced to North America from Europe. The fungus grows in humid and cold environments, such as caves. An infected bat wakes up frequently during hibernation. This depletes their fat stores and the bat emerges too early from hibernation to seek food. These bats usually succumb to freezing or starvation. At some hibernation sites, white-nosed syndrome has wiped out over 90 percent of local populations.
Despite their important role in the ecosystem as predators of nocturnal flying insects, there is still a lot we don’t know about bat populations in the Biosphere. To begin to better understand the populations and ranges of local bats that are considered species-at-risk, GBB undertook a two-year research and outreach project from 2017-2019. This project included both mobile transect surveys, where a specialized audio recorder was attached to a vehicle for nighttime bat call surveys, as well as stationary surveys, in which a monitor was left at a field site for seven days to record bat calls. The project also had an extensive outreach component, with a new Lesson in a Backpack developed for grade 4, bat house building events, and many bat themed presentations.
Since then, Shawanaga First Nation (SFN) has taken on new and exciting bat research in the region. Starting in 2019, SFN began annual bat work in the community. This work followed the completion of a roost count at an old church in partnership with the Toronto Zoo in 2018. A roost count consists of sitting outside a structure or opening(s) at dusk and counting the bats as they emerge for one hour. The 2018 roost count allowed SFN to get an understanding of how many bats may be using this structure, in this case it was somewhere between 200-300 individuals. These numbers indicate it was a maternity colony of little brown myotis, meaning the colony was comprised primarily of females congregating to give birth.
Bats don’t just have one roost though, so SFN started catching the bats from the church, measuring and sexing them, and giving them unique metal forearm bands (similar to bird bands). A select number of the bats also had radio transmitters affixed to them. SFN staff then followed these bats to other roosts (houses and trees) in the community and did additional roost counts in those locations. From this work, SFN has a good understanding of the habitat and structures used by little brown myotis, including a rough population estimate of a minimum of 1,000 bats. Knowing that this species has declined by about 90% as a result of white-nosed syndrome, it can be assumed that this population would have been >10,000 individuals about 20 years ago.
Apakwaanaajiinh Mnidoo Gamii – Bats of Georgian Bay Project
In addition to this ongoing research and monitoring, SFN developed the Apakwaanaajiinh Mnidoo Gamii – Bats of Georgian Bay Project, a new partnership project involving several First Nation communities across the coast of Georgian Bay. Apakwaanaajiinh is the Anishinaabemowin word for bat. The purpose of the project is to engage with communities, build capacity for research, establish baseline data for First Nations Lands Departments, collect scientific data on bats, and weave scientific data with Traditional Ecological Knowledge. The goals are to identify critical habitat, and investigate diversity, abundance, and movement of bats. Specific research questions were left up to each community to determine.
SFN collaborated on bat netting, radio telemetry, roost counts, and assessments of hibernation sites with bat specialist Derek Morningstar, University of Guelph master’s student Michelle Beltran, and the First Nations of Wasauksing, Magnetawan, Moose Deer Point, Aundeck Omni Kaning, Nawash and Saugeen, Whitefish River, Christian Island, Sheguaindah, and Wikwemikong Unceded Territory.
Highlights from this project so far include:
- The installation of five automated radio telemetry receivers in partnership with Birds Canada. These receivers add to the international network of stations in the Motus Wildlife Tracking System. Three of the receivers are placed within First Nations.
- Over 1,000 bats have been captured around Georgian Bay, including all eight species of bat. Eastern small-footed myotis habitat has been identified and described in all regions of Georgian Bay.
- Roughly 140 bats have been attached with radio transmitters. Transmitters stay glued to bats for about two weeks, sending signals that can be picked up by hand-held receivers, car mounted antennas, and Motus towers within range.
- Over 85 roosts have been found, including a hoary bat roost.
- Ten hibernacula and swarming sites have been identified or confirmed for the first time ever.
- All partner First Nations have hosted a public bat night to share interest and knowledge with community members.
Through this project an incredible amount has been learned about where bat species are on the landscape and the habitats and movement corridors they use.
Under the Rails Project
In addition to the Apakwaanaajiinh Mnidoo Gamii – Bats of Georgian Bay Project, SFN is also leading the “Under the Rails” project. SFN started identifying tunnel/cave-like features in association with the railway running through the community in 2019 and has been actively studying their use by bats over the last three years. They have identified ~30 potential structures that could be used by bats for hibernation. Of these structures, they have been able to enter ~15 and have confirmed 6 that are being used by bats for hibernation and swarming, the first known bat hibernation sites for eastern Georgian Bay! SFN is currently working on best management practices with the operator of the railway to help reduce any negative impacts.
Going forward, SFN plans to continue their bat work with a major focus on using the knowledge gained to aid in the recovery of three migratory bats (hoary, silver-haired, eastern red) that were recently listed as endangered by COSEWIC and will be provincially designated in 2025. Specifically, SFN will use the knowledge gained to help inform the new recovery strategies and best practices for wind energy (one of the leading causes of decline for these three species).
Follow the Shawanaga First Nation species at risk team on Facebook for all the latest updates on this exciting research!
How You Can Help Bats in the Biosphere
As the nights grow colder, many bat species in Ontario enter a period of hibernation to conserve energy during the winter months. During hibernation, bats seek out secluded and temperature-stable locations such as caves, mines, and sometimes even buildings. They enter a state where their metabolic rate slows down significantly to conserve energy, allowing them to survive the winter months when food is scarce.
If you find bats hibernating in your home, it’s crucial not to disturb them during the winter months. Blocking access points to your home during winter can potentially trap them inside. Instead, wait until early spring to ensure that bats have safely left their hibernation sites. Then, you can address any entry points to prevent them from returning.
Consider installing bat houses in your yard or property to provide alternative roosting spots for bats. These houses mimic natural roosting sites and can help support local bat populations. Visit the links below for more information on bat houses:
- Bat Conservation International: Criteria for Successful Bat Houses
- Bat Conservation International: Four Chamber Nursery Home Plans
- Bat Conservation International: Two Chamber Rocket Box Plans
In addition to building a bat house, you can minimize your outdoor lighting, as bright lights can disrupt bat foraging and navigation.
Living with bats can be a rewarding experience while helping to protect these important species. By understanding bat hibernation and implementing bat-friendly practices, we can coexist with these remarkable species and contribute to their conservation! Be sure to report your bat sightings to GBB’s iNaturalist project!
To learn more about Ontario’s bats, check out the Toronto Zoo’s bat conservation guide.
