Bats After Dark: The Land Between’s Hidden Nightlife Uncovered

2024-25 Backyard Bat Acoustic Monitoring in The Land Between A

Summary of Findings from the Toronto Zoo × TLB Partnership

In summer 2024 and 2025, The Land Between (TLB) partnered with the Toronto Zoo’s Native Bat Conservation Program to launch our first community-wide Backyard Bat Acoustic Monitoring Project. Participants hosted ultrasonic recorders for 3–7 nights, capturing the nighttime soundscape of bats across the region. The results are remarkable: We detected all 8 bat species known to Ontario, including endangered Myotis species and the rare tri-colored bat. This confirms that The Land Between remains a critical stronghold for bat diversity in the province.

Project Overview

Ultrasonic Song Meter recorders were deployed at private rural properties across TLB’s ecotone.
Devices recorded from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise.
Toronto Zoo staff processed calls using automated classifiers, then manually verified species identifications.
Reports provided participants with preliminary results; this summary synthesizes findings across all locations.

Key Findings

1. Species Detected Across All Sites

Across the combined monitoring sites, all eight Ontario bat species were detected:

Species	Detected?	Notes
Big Brown Bat	✔	Most common species; dominant at nearly all sites.
Silver-haired Bat	✔	Strong presence at multiple locations (e.g., 343 detections at one site).
Eastern Red Bat	✔	Frequently detected, especially mid-late summer.
Hoary Bat	✔	Detected at nearly all sites; low but consistent activity.
Little Brown Myotis (Endangered)	✔	Detected frequently at several sites, including high activity at one location (e.g., 492 detections)
Northern Myotis (Endangered)	✔	Low but notable detections (e.g., 7 observations at one site)
Tri-colored Bat (Endangered)	✔	Strongly detected at one site (577 observations)
Eastern Small-footed Myotis (Endangered)	✔	Rare, but detected (e.g., 2 detections)

These results confirm that The Land Between supports one of the richest bat communities in Ontario, including species declining elsewhere due to habitat loss and white-nose syndrome.

2. Total Activity Across All Locations

Using data compiled from all reports:

Highest Total Activity Sites

Site HW1: 3,226 calls, 7 species detected (Strong activity by Little Brown, Big Brown, Tri-colored bats)
Site MD: 1,291 calls, all 8 species detected
Site TM: 1,143 calls, 7 species

Lowest Activity Sites

Site RT: 5 calls, 2 species (Still notable because rare Little Brown Myotis detected)

3. Patterns Observed

Big Brown Bats dominate the soundscape

Often 70–90% of detections at high-activity sites

Forested or wetland-adjacent properties attract more Myotis

Especially:

Little Brown Myotis
Northern Myotis
Tri-colored bat

Migratory bats (Hoary, Red, Silver-haired) peak in late summer

Reports from late August show strong detection patterns.

4. Why This Matters

1. Biodiversity Hotspot

The Land Between holds one of the only remaining regions in Ontario where all eight bat species are still present.

2. A Refuge for Endangered Species

Detection of Little Brown, Northern Myotis, Tri-colored, and Eastern Small-footed Myotis is significant:
These species have declined 90–99% elsewhere.

3. Community Science Works

This project showcases the power of residents contributing to conservation.
Even small datasets help map bat populations across a vast region.

4. Key Habitat Clues

High nightly activity suggests:

local maternity colonies
high-quality foraging habitat
migration stopover sites

Low-activity sites help identify where habitat restoration is needed.

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