Science News Scientists have investigated how bats migrate across Europe. The study was possible using ultralight sensors connected like cellphones. A noctule bat in flight. (Image Credit: Dieter Mahlke/imageBROKER/Getty Images). New Delhi: Bats are known to travel thousands of kilometres in continental migrations across North America, Europe and Africa, but the behaviour is rare and difficult to observe, making the migrations an enigma. Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour have used sensors connected like cell phones to study 71 noctule bats during their spring migration across Europe. The researchers were able to track the paths taken by the bats, along with data on the environment, that allowed the scientists to discover that the bats were surfing on stormfronts to cross continents. The researchers tracked only a portion of the 1,600 kilometre long migration of the noctule bats. The tags remained on the bats for about four weeks, after which they dropped off. (Image Credit: MPI of Animal Behavior/ Christian Ziegler). The sensor package weighs only about five percent of the total body mass of the bat, and records the activity levels of the bats as well as the surrounding temperature. A novel long-range network was used to transmit the data, that combined 1,440 daily measurements into a 12 byte message. The sensor packages for the bats had coverage across all of Europe, much like a cellphone network. The noctule bats are widespread in Europe, and are known to migrate across the continent. The females migrate more extensively than the males, and spend their summers in northern Europe before flying to a range of southern locations for hibernating through the winter. Bat Fireworks The researchers were able to determine that the bats could migrate nearly 400 kilometres within a single night. During such migrations, they need to feed constantly, so the bats alternated between stops and migratory flights. A paper describing the research has been published in Science. First author of the paper, Edward Hurme says, “On certain nights, we saw an explosion of departures that looked like bat fireworks. They were riding storm fronts, using the support of warm tailwinds.” Aditya Madanapalle Aditya has studied journalism, multimedia technologies and ᚨᚾᚲᛁᛖᚾᛏ ᚱᚢᚾᛖᛋ. He has over 10 years experience as a science and technology reporter, with a focus on space, AI, videogames, cybsersecurity and fundamental research. He is usually found playing with age inappropriate LEGO sets or sedentary games both new and old. Read More Latest Stories Next Article Follow us on social media

Science News Scientists have investigated how bats migrate across Europe. The study was possible using ultralight sensors connected like cellphones. Follow us on social media The tags remained on the bats for about four weeks, after which they dropped off. (Image Credit: MPI of Animal Behavior/ Christian Ziegler). Latest Stories Bat Fireworks Aditya has studied […]

Scientists have investigated how bats migrate across Europe. The study was possible using ultralight sensors connected like cellphones.

A noctule bat in flight. (Image Credit: Dieter Mahlke/imageBROKER/Getty Images).

The tags remained on the bats for about four weeks, after which they dropped off. (Image Credit: MPI of Animal Behavior/ Christian Ziegler).

Bat Fireworks

Aditya has studied journalism, multimedia technologies and ᚨᚾᚲᛁᛖᚾᛏ ᚱᚢᚾᛖᛋ. He has over 10 years experience as a science and technology reporter, with a focus on space, AI, videogames, cybsersecurity and fundamental research. He is usually found playing with age inappropriate LEGO sets or sedentary games both new and old.

Aditya Madanapalle

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New Delhi: Bats are known to travel thousands of kilometres in continental migrations across North America, Europe and Africa, but the behaviour is rare and difficult to observe, making the migrations an enigma. Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour have used sensors connected like cell phones to study 71 noctule bats during their spring migration across Europe. The researchers were able to track the paths taken by the bats, along with data on the environment, that allowed the scientists to discover that the bats were surfing on stormfronts to cross continents. The researchers tracked only a portion of the 1,600 kilometre long migration of the noctule bats.

The sensor package weighs only about five percent of the total body mass of the bat, and records the activity levels of the bats as well as the surrounding temperature. A novel long-range network was used to transmit the data, that combined 1,440 daily measurements into a 12 byte message. The sensor packages for the bats had coverage across all of Europe, much like a cellphone network. The noctule bats are widespread in Europe, and are known to migrate across the continent. The females migrate more extensively than the males, and spend their summers in northern Europe before flying to a range of southern locations for hibernating through the winter.

The researchers were able to determine that the bats could migrate nearly 400 kilometres within a single night. During such migrations, they need to feed constantly, so the bats alternated between stops and migratory flights. A paper describing the research has been published in Science. First author of the paper, Edward Hurme says, “On certain nights, we saw an explosion of departures that looked like bat fireworks. They were riding storm fronts, using the support of warm tailwinds.”