Migrating bats cleverly harness the warm winds of storm fronts to reduce energy use during their long seasonal journeys, as revealed by innovative tracking technology.
Scientists found these tiny nocturnal travelers exhibit unexpected flexibility and adaptability in their migration patterns. Yet, they face mounting challenges from anthropogenic threats and environmental changes, underscoring the urgency for conservation efforts.
Bats Surfing Storm Fronts
A species of migratory bat has been found to “surf” the warm winds of incoming storm fronts to conserve energy, according to a study that tracked the tiny creatures during their long journeys across central Europe. This research provides new insights into how weather, physiology, and environmental factors influence bats’ seasonal migration patterns.
Challenges of Bat Migration
While bird migration is well-documented, the seasonal migration of bats, especially the few long-distance migratory species, remains poorly understood. These nocturnal travelers face significant challenges, including high energy demands, habitat loss, declining insect populations, and climate change. Recent evidence also suggests that the ranges of migratory bats are shifting and shrinking.
Migration decisions appear closely linked to local weather conditions, with favorable winds playing a crucial role in aiding both foraging and long-distance travel. However, limitations in tracking technology have left many aspects of bat migration uncharted, hindering our understanding of this increasingly threatened phenomenon.
Bat movement over three days shows how many individuals departed on a night of lower air pressure before an incoming storm front.
New Technology for Tracking
To overcome these challenges, Edward Hurme and colleagues developed a biotelemetry system using lightweight 1.2-gram “Internet of Things” (IoT) tags. These tags, connected to a 0G wireless network, were used to monitor 71 female common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) during their spring migration across central Europe. The tags recorded data on location, activity, and environmental temperature, transmitting the information daily without the need to recapture the bats.
Surprising Migration Insights
The study revealed that these bats traveled up to 1,116 kilometers over 46 days, with some completing single-night flights of up to 383 kilometers — much farther than previously documented. Many bats synchronized their journeys to maternity roosts with warm nights and incoming storm fronts, using tailwinds to reduce energy demands.
However, the bats demonstrated remarkable flexibility in their migration timing, adjusting to varying conditions as needed. Females migrating later in the season faced higher energy costs due to increased maternity weight and less favorable weather conditions.
The Need for Conservation
“Studies that leverage new technologies or approaches can reveal previously unknown aspects of these understudied animals,” writes Liam McGuire in a related Perspective. “But if action is not taken to address threats facing bat populations, they may not be around much longer to study.”
For more on this discovery, see How Bats Harness Weather to Travel Thousands of Miles.
Reference: “Bats surf storm fronts during spring migration” by Edward Hurme, Ivan Lenzi, Martin Wikelski, Timm A. Wild and Dina K. N. Dechmann, 2 January 2025, Science.
DOI: 10.1126/science.ade7441
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