Updates to USFWS 2023 Survey Guidance
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Bat Survey Guidelines Team received a few clarifying questions and some new information after the release of the 2023 Survey Guidance that we felt warranted updating now rather than waiting to address next year. We appreciate the feedback we have received and feel that the revisions to
1) the Definition for Potentially Suitable Tricolored Bat Summer Habitat (Appendix A, Page 16), and, 2) clarifications on how to Conduct Qualitative Analysis of Acoustic Calls (Step 7 in Appendix C on Page 38) will provide valuable clarity to these two topics.
Please use the REVISED 2023 version of the bat survey guidelines that is now available on our IBat & NLEB survey website at this link: Range-wide Indiana Bat and Northern Long-eared Bat Survey Guidelines | FWS.gov
Texas Bat Working Group
Interest has been growing in revitalizing the Texas Bat Working Group and Nate Fuller is working towards making that happen. This will create a community where participants can present research ideas, ask questions, seek advice and share results. This will also be a forum to disseminate job opportunities, funding opportunities, and policy considerations.
WNS Grant Deadline Extended
The deadline for WNS Grants to States and Tribes has been extended. The new deadline is Friday June 16, 2023. The goal of this funding opportunity is to help State and Tribal partners fulfill information needs, implement management actions for WNS and susceptible bat species, and actively engage in the National Response to WNS.
COSEWIC Assessed Three Bat Species as Endangered
Many Canadian plants and animals often go unnoticed, yet healthy landscapes across the country depend on these near-invisible wonders of nature. COSEWIC, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, met in May 2023 to consider the status of 16 wildlife species. Eastern Red, Hoary, and Silver-haired bats have declined dramatically in recent years and the committee assessed each of them as Endangered.
Habitat Occupancy and Use for Bat Species of Concern on the Buffalo National River Batting around a new idea: attracting insect buffets for endangered bats Once upon a time in Mexico: Holocene biogeography of the spotted bat (Euderma maculatum)
Could White-Nose Syndrome Manifest Differently in Myotis lucifugus in Western Versus Eastern Regions of North America? A Review of Factors Fall Phenology, Movement, and Roost use of Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) and California Myotis (Myotis californicus) at Mount Rainier National Park Effects of bat white-nose syndrome on hibernation and swarming aggregations of bats in Ontario Microhabitat of Myotis leibii summer roosts at the southwestern periphery of their range Association of bat flies (Diptera: Streblidae) and bats: Richness and host specificity in Western Mexico Systematics and biogeography of Anoura cultrata (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae): a morphometric, niche modeling, and genetic perspective, with a taxonomic reappraisal of the genus Furthering the development of the Jamaican fruit bat as an animal model for immunology Response of Bats and Nocturnal Food Webs to Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonous ponderosae) Outbreaks Forest characteristics predict tri-colored bat activity within novel Colorado habitats Fern Cave: A Hotspot of Subterranean Biodiversity in the Interior Low Plateau Karst Region of Alabama in the Southeastern United States Balancing costs and benefits of managing hibernacula of cavernicolous bats
Bat Monitoring Crew Lead: Washington
This position will serve as the crew lead for one of three statewide bat acoustic monitoring endeavors. Fieldwork will take place across the entirety of Washington. Field tasks include but are not limited to navigating remote and rugged terrain, assessing land ownership of survey sites, selecting ideal locations for bat detection, deploying bat acoustic monitors, hiking off-trail in rugged terrain, communicating with private landowners and agency partners regarding site access, and accurately recording site characteristics.
Senior Research Technician and Lab Manager
The Ecological Acoustics and Behavior (EAB) Lab at the University of New Hampshire, led by Dr. Laura Kloepper, seeks a Senior Research Technician and Lab Manager. This salaried, benefitted position will provide lab, field, and logistical support across multiple projects investigating animal behavior and population dynamics. Responsibilities include processing video and acoustic data through custom analysis software, maintaining and managing the inventory of electronic equipment in our lab, compiling data from our community and agency partners, assisting with field data collection for lab projects, and coordinating training for graduate and undergraduate students involved in research.
Regional White-nose Syndrome Coordinator position in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mountain-Prairie Region
As a Fish and Wildlife Biologist, this position will serve as the white-nose syndrome coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Mountain Prairie Region. White-nose syndrome (WNS) is a disease that affects hibernating bats and is caused by the fungus Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The Region is on the leading edge of WNS and is already observing devastating impacts to bat populations affected by the fungus. Learn more about the disease and WNS response at White-Nose Syndrome (whitenosesyndrome.org).
Agave Restoration Coordinator Bat Conservation International Inc.
Bat Conservation International (BCI), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to ending bat extinctions worldwide, seeks a full-time Agave Restoration Coordinator to join BCI’s Conservation Department. The Agave Restoration Coordinator will join a dynamic organization and diverse team, reporting to the Agave Restoration Program Manager and working closely with the Habitat Protection and Restoration Team (HP&R). The Agave Restoration Coordinator will take a lead in expanding multi-sectoral partnerships for the Agave Restoration Initiative in the United States and coordinating and leading on-the-ground restoration activities with BCI staff and partners.
June's Featured Resource: Release Unused Grid Cells in Your NABat Project Do you have grid cells selected for survey in your NABat Partner Portal Project that you will no longer be surveying? When you are ready to release unused cells, use the cell selection tool to update the status of the cell so it will be available for other researchers to select. To release the cell in the cell selection tool, change the status in the drop-down menu on the right. Do not delete the cell by the cell's segment on the main project page – this will result in survey data also being deleted.
Still have questions? Users who need project guidance or assistance are encouraged to book an appointment or reach out to our Technical Monitoring team for consultation.