‘Mindblowing’ European bat hunting behaviour observed for the first time by researchers

Some type of European bats are known to onslaught birds arsenic they migrate to Africa. However, they must trap them while successful flight: a difficult task for specified mini predators. 

The behaviour has antecedently been a enigma to researchers, who were unsure of really nan bats could propulsion disconnected specified a analyzable manoeuvre. 

But a caller study, published successful Science, offers a model into really these bats do it: pinch pictures and sounds to beryllium it. 

The bats and nan birds

Each year, billions of passerine birds migrate during nan nighttime from Europe to Africa. Travelling successful ample flocks, they’re an apt target for bats. Three echolocating bat species, including nan greater noctule bat, are known to prey connected these flocks. 

These birds are travelling complete agelong distances and astatine precocious altitudes. Capturing prey successful these conditions is not an easy feat. 

“It's not a very communal hunting style and it had ne'er been observed before,” says Ilias Foskolos, a postdoctoral interrogator astatine Stanford and 1 of nan authors of nan study alongside different world researchers, including Doñana Biological Station’s Elena Tena López and Laura Stidsholt of Aarhus University. 

The only grounds of bat preying behaviour has been from vertebrate remains, for illustration feathers, and bat faeces. That is, until these researchers stepped in.

The only spot successful nan world wherever location is simply a comparatively large colony of this type is Doñana National Park, adjacent Sevilla, Spain. There, nan researchers fitted nan bats pinch high-resolution biologging tags.

These high-tech devices grounds altitude, echolocation, 3D movement, and tracked nan bats’ hunting behaviour. 

A glimpse into predator behaviour

This study marks nan first clip that this behaviour has been documented. During nan study period, nan researchers identified 2 notable attacks. As portion of its attack, nan bats climbed supra 400 metres earlier spotting prey. They past picked up velocity and turned downwards to prosecute their target, utilizing echolocation to thief them make nan last catch. 

Although 1 of nan attacks was not successful, nan researchers were capable to archive a successful seizure of a European robin, confirmed done audio of nan bird’s distress call. The bat captured, bit, and ate its prey for 23 minutes, each without losing altitude. 

“This suggests that nan bats, while successful flight, region nan wings to immobilise their prey, trim drag, and easiness prey handling – a method reminiscent of aerial-hawking strategies utilized for capturing ample insects,” nan authors write. 

“Pure earthy history”

Foskolos describes nan behaviour arsenic “mind-blowing”. As he explains, it’s a very awesome hunting technique, particularly for specified a mini predator. Bats measurement astir 30 grams, and these birds measurement 15 grams. 

“The predator prey size ratio for these animals is rather mini because nan predator is not very overmuch bigger than nan bird, truthful doing this while successful formation is insane,” he says.

He hopes that they tin proceed tagging to further observe nan bat’s behaviour, arsenic good arsenic really different individuals whitethorn grip their prey. He besides says these technologies tin beryllium applied to observe akin behaviours successful different animals. 

“It’s axenic earthy history, and highlights that location are galore awesome hunting behaviours waiting to beryllium discovered,” he says. “There are truthful galore things that we don't cognize and pinch nan correct exertion we could get a glimpse.”