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Ongoing Project

Bat Monitoring

Local Bat Monitoring

The Fort McMurray region is home to five bat species: the little brown myotis (little brown bat), northern myotis, silver-haired bat, hoary bat, and the eastern red bat. Although other species may be found, such as the big brown bat, their presence near Fort McMurray has not been confirmed. The two myotis species live in Alberta year-round, however, we know of only a few places where these bats spend the winter hibernating. The hoary and eastern red bats will migrate as far as the southern United States and Mexico to spend the winter. The silver-haired bat also migrates south, but our bat research in the Fort McMurray region suggests that some may also overwinter closer to home.

"We encourage anyone who finds a bat or a roosting location to contact us or the ACBP and seek professional guidance rather than attempt to handle these bats or remove them from their roost locations."

There are two initiatives in Alberta that provide opportunities for the WBWRI to monitor bats and contribute data to help conserve these animals. The Alberta Community Bat Program (ACBP) conducts research and provides many resources that can answer questions about bats. The WBWRI can participate in the ACBP by identifying and monitoring where bats are roosting, including natural roost locations, under bridges, or in buildings. The North American Bat Monitoring Program, or NABat collaborates with communities and individuals across the continent to gather data for assessment of bat population status and trends. We intend to collect acoustic data using the NABat protocol in the Fort McMurray region as part of our contribution to this initiative.

Automated Recording Unit
Myotis Bat

There are four locations near Fort McMurray where we will be deploying acoustic recording equipment that will record the echolocation calls of foraging bats in late June or early July each year. Our members will have the opportunity to learn how to identify these electronic bat calls to species and understand how these data are being used to estimate species trends.

Bat Box

Did you know?

The little brown myotis and northern myotis are Endangered species due to the devastation of populations in Canada and the United States from the introduced disease called white-nose syndrome. This disease has killed millions of bats in North America since it was first detected in 2006.
Populations of migratory bats, including the silver-haired, hoary, and eastern red bats are also declining due to mortality at windfarms, and these three species are listed as Sensitive in Alberta. These bats do not hit the turbines but rather fly through an area of air pressure change as the turbine blades spin. The sudden drop in air pressure causes the blood vessels in their lungs to expand and rupture.
The most common bat species around Fort McMurray are the little brown myotis and the silver-haired bat. The northern myotis is found mostly in older aspen forests. Although the hoary bat occurs regularly in the summer its numbers are low, while even fewer eastern red bats are found around Fort McMurray.
Very little is known about where bats spend the winter hibernating in Alberta. These animals are very difficult to track and study, and we have much still to learn about bats.
The little brown myotis and the silver-haired bat are active in the Fort McMurray region from about late April to mid-September. The timing of their arrival and departure depends on the spring and fall overnight temperatures.
The presence of the hoary bat near Fort McMurray in June suggests this species potentially breeds in our surrounding forests, and maybe further to the north. We have detected the eastern red bat near Fort McMurray primarily during its southward migration in July and August, and little is known about the spring migration patterns and breeding habitats of the eastern red bat in our region.
Bats are closely related to humans, and even more closely to related whales, pumas and cows than they are to mice. Bats are not at all closely related to rodents. Bats that are found in buildings do not chew on cords or other materials like rodents do and are therefore not a threat to building infrastructure. The accumulation of guano in buildings from large bat colonies can sometimes smell, making some people uncomfortable with their presence.
Although bats can carry rabies, the prevalence of rabies in bats is very low. In the last 100 years, only two people have died from rabies in Alberta. However, the best advice is to report a bat if you find one, and never handle a bat or any other wild animal without seeking professional guidance.
Hoary Bat
Bat Calls
Silver-haired Bat
Bat Box
Red Bat
Christina River Bridge
Hoary Bat
Bat Box