Alberta Community Bat Program/Western Bat Program 🦇

@albertabats.bsky.social

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Alberta Community Bat Program (www.albertabats.ca). Promoting bat conservation, stewardship & education. A program of WCS Canada (Wildlife Conservation Society Canada) and a member of the WCS Canada Western Bat Program.

Graphic of a brown bat flying toward the viewer with its wings spread against a starry night sky. Text reads: “Young Bats Are Taking First Flights.” Alberta Community Bat Program and WCS Canada logos appear at the lower left.
Close-up of a western small-footed myotis held gently in gloved hands, its mouth open and tiny teeth visible. Text reads: “Join #TeamBat—see link to apply! Closing date 3rd August.” WCS Canada Western Bat Program logo. Photo: Jason Headley.
At night, a masked bat researcher wearing gloves and a headlamp carefully removes a bat from a mist net. Text reads, “Careful removal: Specialized training is essential.” Photo by Heather Gates.
A small, golden-brown Northern Myotis rests upside down in a loose pocket of fine black mist netting, with its wings partly folded. Text reads, “How they work: Loose net pockets gently hold the bat.” Photo by Christina Davy.
Numerous bats are silhouetted against a deep-blue evening sky as they fly toward a tall mist net stretched above a lodge outlined with warm lights. Text reads, “Open after dark: When bats begin to emerge.” Photo by Maleen Münd.
Bat researchers set up a long, fine-mesh mist net among sagebrush and pine trees in a mountainous valley. One researcher holds the unfurled net while others raise the supporting poles. Text reads, “Setting the nets: Preparation begins hours before sunset.” Photo by Susan Holroyd.
Five bat biologists carry metal poles, ladders and bundled mist nets through a dry, grassy valley surrounded by steep, forested mountains. Text reads, “Tools of a Bat Biologist: Mist nets.” WCS Canada Western Bat Program logo. Photo by Jason Headley.
A night-time field survey by the Western Bat Program in Alberta. Researchers safely capture bats near a bridge using mist nets as part of a study testing probiotics that may help protect bats from white-nose syndrome. The video shows bats being gently handled, identified, weighed, measured, and swabbed before being released. Samples are processed at a portable field laboratory. The final scene identifies three species recorded during the survey: Big Brown Bat, Little Brown Myotis, and Long-legged Myotis.
Beautiful shot of a Little Brown Myotis resting on the bark of a tree (by Jennifer Chik) at Beauvais Lake Provincial Park. Text reads Once commmon...now rare...Little Brown Myotis have been devastated by white-nose syndrome across their range and face continued threats from habitat loss, prey declines and direct mortality from inappropriate building exclusions. Learn more at albertbats.ca Logo Alberta Community Bat Program WCS Canada
Two children stand on a trail at dusk, looking at the screen of a handheld bat detector in a bright green protective case as they listen for bats flying overhead. Trees line the trail and the evening sky is darkening, emphasizing that bats are active after sunset. Visible text on the image reads: "Sign out a Bat Kit! Hear the bats you can't see." Near the bottom: "A library loan with a wild side." Alberta Community Bat Program (WCS Canada) logo and the website "albertabats.ca/batkits". Small vertical photo credit reads: "Listening for bats in the Weaselhead. YYC/Lindsey Wallace."
Photo of a large brown bat condo with a smaller black four-chambered nursery box attached to one of the supporting posts. Green trees and a blue sky provide the background. Text reads Bat Condo! Logo WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program. photo: Cory Olson
Close up image of a Hoary Bat showing the yellow ruff around the face, dark eye, and frosted tips of the cinnamon coloured fur on it's back. This bat was found during migration in a sagebrush bush - an unusual roost for a Hoary but it was the tallest thing around that it could have rested in. We think it got caught as the sun was rising and, exhausted from flying, took shelter in this low roost. Normally they would be found in tall trees. Photo by Lethbridge naturalist Ted Nanninga - kindly shared with the bat program. Logo - WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program.
An image of a Silver-haired Bat in a spruce tree in Alberta. Dark almost black bat with silver fur on it's back. Mouth is slightly open - likely it is echolocating. The Text reads Migratory Bats need Protection. make Wind Energy Developments safe for bats. Legislate operational guidelines to prevent unnecessary bat deaths. Learn more albertabat.ca/wind logo WCS Canada's Alberta Community Bat Program. Image of the bat by Benjamin Morrow
It's time to count bats! Period 1 - June 1-July 14, Period 2 - July 15- Aug 15th
Batsby the Hoary Bat - our educational ambassador (or is that amBATsador?) - Batsby experienced a wing injury that keeps him grounded, so he can't be released. He enjoys a life of eating fat mealworms (and waxworms) and representing the plight of his people.
Photo of a bat wing showing scarring from white-nose syndrome. Photo: Brian Keating
Photo of a bat flying along with "tick marks" indicating counts. Text reads it's time to count bats! Download a datasheet - www.albertabats.ca/communityscience Pick a warm night - low wind and no rain. Period 1 June 1st to July 14th. Period 2 July 15th to August 15th. Get Comfortable - set up a lawn chair 30min before sunset with a good vantage point, preferably with the roost backlit by the sky. First counts start June 1st! Logo Alberta Community Bat Program.
Mist net set up in the lower mainland of British Columbia as part of the Probiotic Project that aims to continue to monitor bat health. Currently, the probiotic has shown to help improve survival rates of bats facing white-nose syndrome infection. The team will continue to monitor to see how bats fare over time. The image is of a net set up in front of a building, multiple black blobs are seen hanging in the almost invisible net - these are bats that have emerged from a known roost location!
Text reads Happy Baturday The 2026 field season has started. We have been capturing and swabbing bat wings and mouths!) to better understand bat health. Logo Alberta Community Bat Program WCS Canada www.albertabats.ca
Townsends Big-eared Bat being held by a bat research in black gloves. The bat is being held gently in one hand with the other hand gently extending the wing. Photo by Jason Headley
Introducing "BatBot" built to answer all your bat questions, trained on all our bat resources. Logo WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program albertabats.ca Large white text box is a screen shot of BatBot on the albertabats website. Background is a deep blue/black night sky.
Picture of a bat with white-nose syndrome in a hibernation site with characteristic white fungal growth on face, ears and wings (by Greg Horne of our BatCaver Team). Text reads Decontamination Protocols are required - cavers, building roosts, anytime you are in contact with bat guano or bats! Be especially mindful when moving between sites or to areas with no record of white-nose syndrome. Logo WCS Canada Western Bat Program
Two bats being held gently in white gloved hands. On the left is a blonde bat with very large dark ears and dark face and wings. On the right is a blonde bat with slightly shorter ears and more of a brown face and wings. The bat on the left is the Long-eared Myotis (Myotis evotis) the bat on the right is the Fringed Myotis (Myotis thysanodes). Capture was from Lillooet, BC where both of these bats can be found (although Fringed are quite rare). Photo by Ian Routley.
Text reads "One pup a year. Fun Fact. Happy Baturday. Logo WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program albertabats.ca" Image of a mother little brown myotis and pup who is nursing (pup is quite big and furred) - bats are being held in a blue gloved hand with the handler gently raising the wing to show the pup. Photo by Cory Olson
Text reads Earth Day 1500 bat species and counting. Appreciate a planet with such amazing biodiversity. Image of the earth from space with the WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program logo @albertabats.ca Images of a Little Brown Myotis by Cory Olson, a Northern Myotis by Christina Davy, a Hoary Bat and a Silver-haired Bat by Jason Headley and a Red Bat by Jared Hobbs. All five species are either currently listed as endangered or recommended as such.
A hoary bat with a buff coloured face, cinnamon coloured fur with frosted tips - looking a lot like the moth pictured in this thread.
The Big Free-tailed Bat (Nyctinomops macrotis) is a large new world insectivore in the Molossid family. Fast fliers - their ears are aerodynamically angled forweard and attached over the brow in a fixed position. Their faces typically lack fur and their lips are always wrinkled like a bulldog. This one is looking at the camera with one very senescent brown eye like he knows what you've been up to. This is a portrait shot of the bat who has brown fur and brown ears. Image comes from a Brazilian bat conservation site https://www.sbeq.org.br/molo_unica/66ba6f3296adf4fb599b0b2b
Text reads Super Immune, Fun Facts Bats ability to fly means that they tolerate elevated body temperature while in flight (fever level in humans) and a dampened inflammatory response. This gives them the ability to tolerate viruses that would make other species sick or even die. Happy Baturday. WCS Canada logo Alberta Community Bat Program albertabats.ca Image of a Little Brown Myotis in flight with wings spread wide, mouth open and dark dorsal fur contrasting with lighter fur on the belly. Image used with permission by Brock and Sherri Fenton.
The Bat Blessing: May your fortune be as tall as a mountain and longevity as deep as the sea." Picture includes a background of a starry sky with deep purples and dark mountains. A flying bat image with wings spread wide, fur is dark brown, but face, ears and wings are dark to black. You can see his pink tongue. Image used by permission by Brock Fenton. Logo WCS Canada Western Bat Program.
Text Take the Bat Pledge! Be a champion for bats. I pledge to be a good friend. I pledge to learn more about bats. I pledge to teach others about bats and dispel myths. Logos WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program and WCS Canada Western Bat Program albertabats.ca and wcsbats.ca Image of a bat symbol against a green/blue background.
Creatives at the city of Calgary made a set of "weighted" bats with representative wingspans of our nine AB species. They were also giving away wildflower seeds to promote native plantings in city gardens! Remember to be careful with seed mixes to make sure you only have native plants & no invasives!
Photo of bats roosting in a crevice in a bridge (by Cory Olson). Text reads Little Brown Myotis Use bridges for maternity and night roosts. These sites provide opportunities to do further work to help Little Browns. At these sites we can fight white-nose syndrome, understand diet and species distribution. BRIDGE SURVEYS Identifying maternity roost sites. WCS Canada Western Bat Program
Image of a person holding a bat wing under UV light, the fungus that causes WNS fluoresces orange and is seen as a speckled layer on the wing membrane. Second image of a petri dish showing fungal growth in two areas, with the area of probiotic growth surrounded by a clear area where it has inhibited the growth of Pd, the fungus that causes white nose syndrome (image by Nick Fontaine). Bat image by Jason Headley. Text reads Probiotic Improving overwinter survival rates from white-nose syndrome.
Image of a bat having its wing swabbed (by Jared Hobbs), image looking at a bunch of bats in a harp trap bag (by Maleen Mund) and an image of a biologist with a light and mask mist netting bats (by Heather Gates). Text reads Capture, sex ratios, reproduction, understanding wing microbiome. WCS Canada Western Bat Program
TERM stands for Tree Enhancement and Roost Mitigation - a project aimed at creating artificial roosting structures that aren't bat houses. TERM and Best Practices for Bat Houses benefits Little Browns who use both. Text on this slide: Little Brown Myotis Use bat houses. Guidance on bat house design and placement was needed. We created Best Practices to improve outcomes for bats. These bats have been found using our innovative TERM roosts (learn more about these in a future post this week)! WCS Canada Western Bat Program Pictures include a photo of Little Brown Myotis on a tree (by Jason Headley) and a post with a yellow sign that says "Please do not disturb, Wildlife Structure, this pole is creating habitat for bats" (photo by Heather Gates) WCS Canada Western Bat Program
Centre photo of Little Brown Myotis (by Jason Headley) - surrounded by text circles featuring actions/research being conducted by our bat team to support conservation for this endangered species. Text reads TERM and Bat House BMPs (artificial roosting structures and best practices) CAPTURE (sex rations, reproduction; understanding wing microbiome), PROBIOTIC (Improving overwinter survival rates from white-nose syndrome), BRIDGE SURVEYS (Identifying maternity roost sites) includes logo for WCS Canada Western Bat Program (with an inset of a Hoary Bat).
Butt baskets and wingsweeps Fun Fact, Catching insects in flight is tricky! Bats scoop with tail membranes and sweep with their wings to catch prey! Happy Baturday WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program albertabats.ca Image of a Little Brown Myotis in flight with a couple of moths potentially being swept up in their wing. graphic images of a basket and a broom at either end of the title. Bat image by Brock and Sherri Fenton.
Lesser long-nosed Bat diving into the cone-shaped flowers of the saguaro cactus. Photo by Merlin Tuttle.
A red bat in flight doctored up with a pair of bunny ears and carrying an easter basket full of eggs. Text reads Happy Easter from the Alberta Community Bat Program. (an oldie from the archives of the ACBP posts)
Four chambered nursery boxes x2 on a single post - looking upwards into the boxes. This configuration gives you a single middle chamber as well as the two boxes. Note the single side covering both boxes and the middle chamber. Photo: Mike Kelly
Speed Healing - fun fact - bats have the ability to rapidly heal wounds within 7-14 days during the active parts of their annual cycle. It's really quite remarkable. Happy Baturday WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program albertabats.ca Image of a wing showing several healed scars.
Five things you can do to help bats: 1. Keep old trees when you can and advocate for tree retention in your community. 2. Plant native plants in your yard; avoid cleaning up gardens until spring temperatures are above 10C to promote insect retention and hatching. 3. Avoid using pesticides. 4. Keep your yards dark in summer (use lights that are directed downward, put them on timers); advocate for dark-friendly skies in your municipality (use specific types of lighting to reduce the spread of light, upward pointing lights and use colours that don't attract insects). 5. Deploy bat houses in areas that seem void of bat roosting habitat, follow the best practices for using bat boxes. WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program logo - www.albertabats.ca see the "Bat-friendly Communities Guidebook" for more tips.
Batsby the Hoary Bat looks up from his perch in the branches with a surprised look on his face! photo by Cory Olson
Orange fluorescence under UV light indicates the presence of the fungus that causes white nose syndrome. Photo Jason Headley.
Volunteers and staff processing bats at Lost Lagoon in YVR. Seated at a long table with lights and equipment, biologists inspect, swab and measure bats while others record the data. Scene is at night with the reflection of the Vancouver skyline in the lagoon. Photo by Maleen Mund.
Western Small-footed Myotis being held in a blue gloved hand. Bat is blond with a dark face and ears. Mouth is slightly open and he has the look on his face like he can't quite believe you said that. Photo by Jason Headley (taken in the Rosebud River Valley).
Bat book corner at the Bow Habitat Station for Discovery Days! Part of our bat "booth". Image shows a collection of bat stuffed animals and a collection of bat books for kids. Photo: Michaela Foley
Image of a Silver-haired Bat in flight with wings spread wide and forward. Graphics of bat wings beside at title of "Bat Wings" Text reads Fun Fact. Equipped with super sensors. Happy Baturday. WCS Canada Logo Alberta Community Bat Program albertabats.ca Photo by Brock and Sherri Fenton.
The Rosebud by night - backlit cliff face where we suspect bats hibernate. Photo by Jason Headley savetherosebud.ca
Pd (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) fungal growth on bat wings - the fungus fluoresces orange under UV light (Photo: Jason Headley - from an Alberta bat)
Text reads Bat Feet - made for hanging out. Happy Baturday Logo WCS Canada Alberta Community Bat Program albertabats.ca Image of the back feet and tail of a Little Brown Myotis by Jason Headley/Myotis Lens Toes have tiny dark claws and a few long hairs on each toe.
Series of bat houses mounted on posts by Cori Lausen
Flow chart to determine if you are a bat person. (spoiler - everybody is a bat person)
Front page of Issue #008 of "The Roost Report" produced by WCS Canada's Alberta Community Bat Program. This issue is on managing bats in buildings, signs of bats and how bats are often found in lakeside communities. See https://www.albertabats.ca/signs-of-bats-managing-bats-in-lakeside-buildings-the-roost-report-008/ for a full report.
Hoary Bat found in sagebrush near Lethbridge Alberta (during migration period) by Ted Nanninga
Batsby the Hoary Bat demonstrating his ability to blend in with the gray coloured bark. Photo Cory Olson.
Front cover of the Bat-Friendly Communities Guidebook with the Alberta Community Bat Program updated July 14, 2023. Image of a Little Brown Myotis roosting on bark with a green background by Jason Headley.