Homing, Movements, and Longevity of Bats

Abstract

As far as is known, bats were first banded in the United States in 1916, when Dr. A. A. Allen, an ornithologist, marked five pipistrelles with bird bands (Allen, 1921). Little banding of bats was done during the next 16 years; in fact it was not until 1932 that intensive studies were undertaken. Between 1932 and 1951 a total of 67,279 bats were banded in the United States and Canada. Over 50,000 of these were banded in caves, usually in the wintertime while the bats were in the inactive hibernating condition (Mohr, 1953). Most of these studies were made in the eastern United States. Most of the findings of these banding studies have related to the homing ability, movements, and longevity of various species of the more colonial, cave dwelling bats. No intensive studies have been made of the more solitary tree dwelling bats. The purpose of this paper is to summarize some of these findings of other workers and to add the results of banding studies that I have carried on.