NEW JERSEY – It’s migration season for bats.
Some bats don’t go very far throughout the year, but others may travel hundreds of miles to winter farther south (as Eastern Red Bats do) or to hibernate below ground (as Little Brown Bats do).
Along their journey, bats can turn up in some random places – like clinging to window screens or buildings, inside parking garages, etc. They’re usually solitary and may rest in place for several days before continuing their journey.
The New Jersey Department of Fish and Wildlife are trying to learn more about the migration paths that bats follow from “here” to “there.”
You can help. Wildlife officials want you to share any bat sightings with their Endangered and Nongame Species Program by using the NJ Wildlife Tracker web app: https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/wildlife-tracker-app/
All bat species are of interest; just take a few good photos so we can identify the one you saw. It’s ok if you guess wrong in the Tracker app – they can fix the species ID. Please do not disturb or touch any bats you may find.
To learn more about bats in New Jersey, visit https://dep.nj.gov/njfw/conservation/bat-conservation/.
