Bats - Field studies

A bat study records and examines the sounds bats make to try and determine if a habitat is being used by bats and, if so, what species are present. Bats in Canada include both migratory species (bats who travel from one habitat to another during different times of the year) and resident species that hibernate in caves.

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Key terms

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Bats

Bats are flying mammals that have forelimbs adapted for flight. Examples of bats commonly found in Canada include the little brown myotis and the tricoloured bat.

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Hibernation

A state of minimal activity that some animals, including bats, experience. Hibernation is characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart rate and low metabolic rate. It most commonly occurs during winter months.

Why study bats?

Bat maternity roosts (where bats breed) and hibernation locations are provincially protected in Ontario through several pieces of legislation. Several bat species (e.g., little brown myotis and the tricolored bat), as well as their habitat, are protected under the Ontario Endangered Species Act, 2007 and the federal Species at Risk Act, 2002. 

By conducting bat studies to determine what habitats are used by bats and which species are present, Alto planners will better understand how these might change while building and operating the new railway, and what is needed to protect bats and their habitats, while determining a baseline for future studies.

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What do bat studies involve?

Available aerial photography and local historical information and observations about bats will be reviewed to identify forests and nearby buildings as potential habitats for bat maternity roosts and hibernation.

Recording units will be placed within the study area to record any bat sounds. Alto planners will check on the units periodically to ensure they are functioning properly

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