PARENT SESSION

IDENTIFICATION OF NORTH AMERICAN BATS FROM FRAGMENTARY EVIDENCE RECOVERED FROM BAT/AIRCRAFT COLLISIONS. Suzanne C. Peurach. USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Room 378 MRC 111, Washington, DC.

ABSTRACT- The Biological Survey Unit (USGS), stationed at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), has been identifying bats from United States Air Force (USAF) aircraft/bat collisions (batstrikes) since 1997. Positive identifications are made by comparing fragmentary evidence such as claws and wing bones to museum voucher specimens. Hairs recovered from the aircraft impact point are compared microscopically to a reference collection of mounted hair slides stored at NMNH. Members of the genera Lasiurus and Tadarida were identified in 53 % and 26 % of the strikes respectively. The bats frequently identified to species level include: Red Bats, Lasiurus borealis (26 %), Brazilian Free-tailed Bats, Tadarida brasiliensis (26 %), and Hoary Bats, Lasiurus cinereus (14 %). Aircraft strikes with bats have been reported in North America during all months except January. More than 70 % of all reported strikes during this study occurred between the months of July and October, with a peak during August (24 %). Of the 126 North American bat strikes identified to at least the genus level over the last seven years, 21 were reported to have occurred during the day. Four of these daytime strikes were verified by a member of the crew in flight. It is interesting to note that birds were recorded as associated with bats in 9 of 25 air strikes involving multiple impact points. The most damaging bat-related strike recorded during this study was the result of a multiple species strike to a C-130E Hercules aircraft involving a mourning dove and a red bat ($195,707.00). The results of these preliminary investigations provide useful information to airfield managers, pilots and other government agencies, but also prove to be an especially valuable means of documenting patterns of bat migration times, routes, and altitudes for the scientific community.

KEY WORDS: aircraft, identification, bat, collision