Introduction to Bats - Bats Conservation International

Bats are essential to the health of our natural world. They help control pests and are vital pollinators and seed-dispersers for countless plants. Yet these wonderfully diverse and beneficial creatures are among the least studied and most misunderstood of animals.

Centuries of myths and misinformation still generate needless fears and threaten bats and their habitats around the world. Bat populations are declining almost everywhere. Losing bats would have devastating consequences for natural ecosystems and human economies. Knowledge is the key. Bat Conservation International has been combining education, research and conservation to protect bats worldwide since 1982.

The more than 1,200 species of bats – about one-fifth of all mammal species – are incredibly diverse. They range from the world's smallest mammal, the tiny bumblebee bat that weighs less than a penny to giant flying foxes with six-foot wingspans. Except for the most extreme desert and polar regions, bats have lived in almost every habitat on Earth since the age of the dinosaurs.

Bats are primary predators of night-flying insects, including many of the most damaging agricultural pests and others that bedevil the rest of us. More than two-thirds of bat species hunt insects, and they have healthy appetites. A single little brown bat can eat up to 1,000 mosquito-sized insects in a single hour, while a pregnant or lactating female bat typically eats the equivalent of her entire body weight in insects each night.

Almost a third of the world's bats feed on the fruit or nectar of plants. In return for their meals, these bats are vital pollinators of countless plants (many of great economic value) and essential seed dispersers with a major role in regenerating rainforests. About 1 percent of bats eat fish, mice, frogs or other small vertebrates.

Only three species, all in Latin America, are vampires. They really do feed on blood, although they lap it like kittens rather than sucking it up as horror movies suggest. Even the vampires are useful: an enzyme in their saliva is among the most potent blood-clot dissolvers known and is used to treat human stroke victims.

http://batcon.org/index.php/all-about-bats/intro-to-bats.html

For more information on bats and ways to protect them, go to www.batcon.org

Wildlife Disease News Digest: February 8, 2014

Wildlife Disease News Digest: In the Spotlight - Battle for Bats: Surviving White Nose Syndrome

Photo Credit - Michigan Audubon

Compact Grey Feeder Birds
Identification tips

Each winter more and more people feed birds in their backyard. As this hobby grows across the U.S. the urge to know specific species gets greater. Below are three birds you will likely see at your feeder that all share a common color – grey!

Dark-eyed Junco
Referred to as the snowbirds of the middle latitudes, Dark-eyed Juncos are common birds inMichigan this time of year. The bird is a ground feeder, found in large flocks that that typically include a hierarchy or pecking order; early arrivals tend to have higher ranks. Additionally, these birds are very talkative; they chip almost absent mindedly.
Size: 5.5-6.3 inches long
Wingspan: 7.7-9.8 inches
Weight: 0.6-1.1 ounces
Coloration: Juncos vary in color widely across their range, having recorded 15 different regional races, six of which are easily recognizable in the field. Of those six, two are widespread throughout the US; the “slate-colored” and the “Oregon” junco.  In general, Dark-eyed Juncos are described as being dark grey or brown birds with a rounded head and short, stout pink bill with white outer tail feathers.

Tufted Titmouse
A small songbird with a rebellious Mohawk and an echoing call, the Tufted Titmouse is another grey and vocal backyard bird. In the winter they are found in the company of nuthatches,chickadees, kinglets and woodpeckers. They are quick to respond to the sounds of agitation in other birds, their curiosity leads them to investigate often and they commonly join in with other birds when mobbing a predator.
Size: 4.5-5.5 inches long
Wingspan: 7-9 inches
Weight: 0.6-0.9 ounces
Coloration: The Tufted Titmouse is a silvery/gray color on its back and wings with a white belly.  It has a rusty or peach-colored wash down the flanks and a black patch just above the bill which makes the bird look snub-nosed.

White-breasted Nuthatch
The largest species of nuthatch this bird is observed climbing up, down and side-to-side over tree trunks and around large branches looking for food sources. They search crevices in the bark to find food.  White-breasted Nuthatches are very territorial all year long. In the winter, they join flocks of chickadees and titmice in order to find abundant food and have more birds to keep an eye out for predators. According to Cornell Lab, “One study found that when titmice were removed from a flock, nuthatches were more wary and less willing to visit exposed bird feeders.”
Size: 5.1-5.5 inches long
Wingspan: 7.9-10.6 inches
Weight: 0.6 to 1.1 ounces
Coloration: The coloring of these nuthatches is very crisp. They display a grey-blue back, with a black or grey cap/neck which frames the frosty white face and underparts, making the bird look like it is wearing a hood. A little bit of chestnut coloring is found on the lower belly and under the tail.

Active and talkative all three grey birds possess their own distinctive feature. After doing your backyard birding make sure to upload your checklist to www.ebird.org to help ornithologist determine population numbers and locations of these common birds.

If you enjoy information like this be sure to renew or join Michigan Audubon as a member and learn about all of Michigan's birds in our bi-monthly magazine, the Jack Pine Warbler. 

Good luck and happy backyard birding!

Your Bird Crew,