DESCRIPTION

Locating bat colonies can be a particularly difficult task–bats are tiny, are mostly active at night, and frequently roost in inaccessible areas, like cliffs, crevices, and tree canopies. Many species in Colorado, however, take advantage of the structures humans build; historic buildings and mines are low-hanging fruit and a good place to start for land managers looking to locate bat colonies. In Jefferson County Parks & Open Space, we conducted visual surveys of historic buildings during the maternity period and game camera and acoustic surveys of mines in the winter to locate maternity colonies and hibernacula, respectively. In this presentation, we will cover methods, equipment needs, initial results, and troubleshooting for both surveys to empower land managers to implement bat colony surveys on the lands they manage.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

EXPERIENCE LEVEL:

Entry Level/Early Career or Intermediate