Factors affecting bat house occupancy in Colorado
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Published source details
White E.P. (2004) Factors affecting bat house occupancy in Colorado. The Southwestern Naturalist, 49, 344-349.
Published source details White E.P. (2004) Factors affecting bat house occupancy in Colorado. The Southwestern Naturalist, 49, 344-349.
Actions
This study is summarised as evidence for the following.
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Provide bat boxes for roosting bats Action Link |
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Provide bat boxes for roosting bats
A replicated study in 1997 of 95 bat boxes in farmland, campgrounds and preserved areas in Colorado, USA (White 2004) found bats occupying 11 of 95 bat boxes (12% occupancy rate) at multiple sites, and occupancy was higher in areas where bats roosted prior to installing bat boxes. Big brown bats Eptesicus fuscus occupied 6 boxes, Myotis spp. two boxes and little brown bats Myotis lucifugus one box. Droppings of unknown bat species were found below two boxes. All bat boxes were occupied by one or two individuals, except one colony of 20 big brown bats. In areas where bats roosted prior to bat box installation, the occupancy rate increased to 64%. Bat box occupancy also increased when bat boxes had large landing areas, were mounted on buildings, and in areas of low canopy cover and human disturbance. No bat boxes mounted on trees were occupied. Ninety-five bat boxes were installed in preserved areas (47), remote campgrounds (8), rural farmland (39) and irrigated farmland (1), and placed on trees (40), buildings (42) and poles (13). Details of the locations of occupied bat boxes were not reported. Bat boxes were checked for occupancy and guano on the ground below at 15 or 30-day intervals in May–September 1997.
(Summarised by: Anna Berthinussen)
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