Alberta Bat Action Team

Last Update: May 28, 2008

The Alberta Bat Action Team (ABAT) is a working group of enthusiastic people aimed at improving bat conservation and management within Alberta. ABAT is forging ahead with innovative programs aimed at conservation and management of bat species that reside in or migrate through the province. The group has strong representation from government, universities, industry, consulting companies, and the public. All members have previous experience with bats and a passion for improving our understanding and management of the nine species that occur in the province. ABAT has already provided recommendations regarding the development of standards for bat inventory, data collection, and data storage. Further, they set priorities with regards to information gaps and research needs that have direct bearing on improved bat conservation in Alberta.

ABAT is a founding member of the recently formed Western Canadian Bat Working Group (WCBWG), CLICK HERE to see WCBWG newsletters.

ABAT has recently produced a document outlining recommended pre-construction survey protocol for bats at proposed wind energy developments. This document is now available, click here to download it.

Possible Future Directions in Bat Management for Alberta

High Priority

  • Investigate the migratory behaviour of bats and the causes, consequences, and mitigation of bat mortality at wind farms
  • update and make available the Alberta Bat Inventory protocol
  • Bat Protocols
  • establish a central listing of bat-related documents, reports, theses pertinent to bat management in Alberta
  • Alberta Bat Bibliography Size: 77KB
  • BC Bat Bibliography Size: 86KB
  • conduct geographic surveys for species presence and reproductive activity throughout the province: priorities: northeastern, northwestern, central
  • in conjunction with geographic surveys, conduct survey of exposed diurnal roosts for extent, species/sex/age composition, and duration
  • compile all previous bat records (date, location, sex, age, reproductive status) into one database
  • establish an ongoing central database for all bat records for compilation of data and availability to interested parties
  • encourage education of agency and industry biologists as well as pest control specialists so that bat conservation and management is put in appropriate perspective. Establish additional materials on current AENV bat site e.g., bat band recovery procedures. Link the site to other bat sites (e.g., Bat Conservation International; Western Bat Working Group)

Medium Priority

  • identify summer roosting habitat requirements. Glean some aspects of mixedwood forest needs from recent literature. Need additional information specific to particular species, habitats, regions. Focus on industrial effects.
  • glean information from indirect sources to help identify previously unknown hibernacula. e.g., caving groups
  • establish migratory patterns of hoary and silver-haired bats, perhaps working in conjunction with bird banders at Lesser Slave Lake and Beaverhill Lake in spring and fall. Establish long-term monitoring sites and canopy monitoring sites e.g., Lesser Slave Lake

Low Priority

  • establish database of known building roost locations, bat species, and estimated roost populations
  • assess genetic population structure a.k.a management needs
  • collect ectoparasites.

Western Canadian Bat Working Group (WCBWG) newsletters:

Drawing of two bats flying