Bat Activity at High Altitudes in the Central Alps, Europe

Bat activity and bat migration at the elevation above 3,000 m at Hoher Sonnblick massif in the Central Alps, Austria (Chiroptera)

“…Taking into account that some calls were assigned to the "Nyctaloid" OTU, this species may be even more dominant. This finding is consistent with the results of our study at Weißsee at 2,300 m a. s. l. where E. nilssonii comprised more than a half of all 33,000 collected call sequences (Widerin & reiter 2017).…”

“…These comprise 21% of the currently known 28 species in Austria (spitzenBerger 2001, doBner 2010, reiter et al 2016. Furthermore, it is remarkable that all four long-distance migrants in Europe (hutterer et al 2005) Although we monitored bat activity only by acoustic methods, our results are plausible considering the comparable results and experience of an extensive study at Weißsee (Salzburg) (Widerin & reiter 2017). That study site is located only km west of Sonnblick at the end of a north-south bound valley (Fig.…”

“…These records are related to Pipistrellus nathusii and Nyctalus noctula (hutterer et al 2005), and the migration routes of these bats might lead across the Austrian Alps near our study sites. Both species have already been recorded at Alpine passes in Austria during former studies (Widerin & reiter 2017). Previous results also indicated that many bats migrate across the Alpine Arc.…”

“…However, bats use high elevations in the Alps not only for foraging or breeding. Annual migration movements also occur there, which is demonstrated by the records of all four long-distance migrants at different Alpine locations (Bontadina et al 2014, Widerin & reiter 2017.…”

“…Since only short-term studies had been conducted so far, we started systematic investigations on bats in the highest regions of the Central Alps in 2012 (Widerin 2012, Widerin & JeraBek 2014, Widerin & reiter 2017, partly within an international project investigating bat migration throughout the Alpine Arc (Bontadina et al 2014). With study sites located between 2,300 and 2,700 m a. s. l., a surprisingly high number of eleven bat species was detected by acoustic methods, eight of them proven by mist netting at the Weißsee region (Hohe Tauern, Salzburg, Austria; Widerin & reiter 2017).…”