NEW JERSEY — New Jersey wildlife officials are asking residents to report sightings of migratory bats as researchers begin a tracking project aimed at learning more about their seasonal movements.
Following a successful pilot project last fall, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s Fish & Wildlife Endangered and Nongame Species Program has a limited number of ultra-lightweight BlūBat+ transmitters available to attach to bats during this year’s migration season.
Officials are particularly interested in sightings of silver-haired bats and northern hoary bats, although reports of eastern red bats are also being sought.
Migrating bats may be spotted resting on buildings, window screens, parking garage walls, shrubs or trees as they travel, according to NJDEP Fish & Wildlife.
Anyone who spots a roosting bat is asked to take a photo and email it, along with the bat’s location, to MacKenzie.Hall@dep.nj.gov. Officials said people should not disturb or touch the bats.
The tracking effort is part of a multistate collaboration with researchers at Virginia Tech using cellular tracking technology. Researchers hope to learn how far migratory bats travel, how they move through the landscape and what challenges they encounter along the way.
NJDEP Fish & Wildlife also accepts reports of any bat species found in New Jersey throughout the year. A photo clear enough to help identify the species should accompany reports submitted through the agency’s NJ Wildlife Tracker form.
Residents who cannot identify the species can select “Other” when submitting a report.
