Migratory movements of bats are shaped by barrier effects, sex-biased timing and the adaptive use of winds.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Migratory bats perform seasonal movements between their summer and winter areas. When crossing ecological barriers, like the open sea, they are exposed to an increased mortality risk due to energetically demanding long-distance flights and unexpected inclement weather events. How such barriers affect bat migratory movements is still poorly known.

Methods

To study bat migration patterns in response to an ecological barrier, we tagged 44 Nathusius' pipistrelles Pipistrellus nathusii with radio-transmitters on the East coast of the United Kingdom (UK) in spring 2021 and 2022. Subsequently, we assessed their movements to continental Europe using the MOTUS Wildlife Tracking System. We investigated route selection, timing of migration, overall migration speed and the in

SUBMITTER: Lagerveld S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11657297 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature