Investigation of Peak Bat Activity Windows in Southeastern Wisconsin, a Field Study — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

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Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Investigation of Peak Bat Activity Windows in Southeastern Wisconsin, a Field Study

Name: Joshua Brandt
Major: Environmental Science
Hometown: Fox Lake, IL
Faculty Sponsor: Deanna Byrnes
Other Sponsors: N/A
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Name: Caleb Jenks
Major: Biology
Hometown: Sullivan, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Deanna Byrnes
Other Sponsors: N/A
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Name: Laura Krings
Major: Biology
Hometown: Nekoosa, WI
Faculty Sponsor: Deanna Byrnes
Other Sponsors: N/A
Type of research: SURE
Funding: SURE

Abstract

Bats (order Chiroptera) are the most diverse group of mammals in the world and the only group to combine the abilities of flight and echolocation. Successfully performing echolocation is crucial in avoiding obstacles, communicating with other bats, and acquiring prey. The echolocation calls emitted by bats can be detected with an acoustic monitor, or bat detector (Titley Electronics). In our field study a bat detector was used to compare the bat activity levels between their two peak feeding times: in the post-dusk and pre-dawn hours. We visited four locations multiple times in both time periods, using standardized recording techniques. The recordings were divided into the categories of high-frequency or low-frequency bats, depending on whether the ending call frequency was above or below 35 kHz. After analysis, the data indicated that there was a significant difference in activity between dusk and dawn for the low-frequency bats. For low-frequency bats, the post-dusk hours appeared to have more activity than the pre-dawn hours. High-frequency bats did not follow this trend; their levels of activity were not significantly different between the two feeding periods. This field study, completed as part of the SURE program, represents part of a much larger statewide effort to document bat ecology and behavior with the onset of the White Nose Syndrome fungal disease in Wisconsin.

Poster file