Description:
During year 5, the bat conservation component of Kootenay Connect consists of 3 main activities: monitoring, inventory, and roost habitat enhancement. We track species diversity and relative abundance through annual acoustic monitoring of bat echolocation calls using bat detectors. This sampling is an effective tool for evaluating changes to habitats over time and is part of a large-scale standardized monitoring program (North American Bat Monitoring Program, NABat) led by WCS Canada in BC. The unit of monitoring is a 10 km x 10 km grid cell monitored for at least one week during the same time period each year. In 2023, we acoustically recorded bats in five of the Kootenay Connect focal regions for a total of 7 NABat grid cells: Creston Valley (1), Bonanza Biodiversity Corridor (2), Kimberley/Wycliffe (1), Columbia Valley (2), and Lardeau (1). In 2023, we recorded more than 20,500 bat passes in these 7 cells combined, detecting a total of 13 species confirmed. Additionally, we recorded more than 6000 bat passes using long term solar-powered migration monitors at Duncan Island and Columbia Lake, identifying migration corridors for all 3 migratory bat species (assessed by COSEWIC as Endangered). We have now created a total of 101 tree-like roosts for bats in the Kootenay Connect linkage areas.

Keywords: bats

Authors:

Organization: Wildlife Conservation Society of Canada

Category: Bats

Focal Area: All

Resource Type: Report

Year: 2024