“Night Flyers: How Bats Harness Storms for 400 km Adventures”

Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPI-AB) have made considerable advancements in comprehending the long-range migration of bats, a behavior that has historically been quite mysterious.

Their research, featured in Science, demonstrates that common noctule bats exploit storm fronts to improve their migratory travels throughout Europe.

Although birds are typically acknowledged as the main long-distance fliers, certain bat species also engage in remarkable migrations, covering vast distances exceeding thousands of kilometers.

The investigation concentrated on 71 common noctule bats during their spring migration, employing ultra-lightweight sensors to track their movements and the environmental conditions surrounding them. These sensors, innovated by MPI-AB engineers, were affixed to the bats, recording data regarding their activity and the ambient temperatures.

Lead author Edward Hurme expressed his enthusiasm regarding the results, stating, “The sensor data are incredible! We not only observe the route taken by bats; we also witness what they encountered in their surroundings while migrating.”

This extensive data provided valuable insights into the vital choices bats made during their energy-demanding migrations.

The study indicated that noctule bats can travel nearly 400 kilometers in a single night, exceeding prior records for the species. Notably, researchers discovered that these bats did not adhere to a single migration pathway.

Rather, they displayed a more varied route across the terrain, while generally moving in a northeastern direction.

One of the most remarkable findings was that bats frequently migrated on nights characterized by decreasing air pressure and increasing temperatures—conditions that signal impending storms.

By utilizing these warm fronts, bats were able to conserve energy and extend their travel range. “They were riding on storm fronts, leveraging the benefits of warm tailwinds,” noted Hurme.

This research not only enhances our comprehension of bat migration but also carries significant implications for conservation initiatives.

Migratory bats encounter dangers stemming from human interventions, particularly collisions with wind turbines. By discerning when and where these bats migrate, plans can be devised to alleviate such threats.

As researchers persist in dissecting this “black box” of bat behaviors, Hurme underscores the necessity for additional studies to deepen our comprehension of these extraordinary creatures and their migratory habits.