The Summer Bat Roost Monitoring Project relies on volunteers and casual observers to collect information on bat colonies across Indiana. To help with this effort, we’ve developed a reporting tool for anyone to report their observation of roosting bats. These reports help track timing of activity and population trends for the 12 bat species found throughout the state.
With your support, we can monitor bat populations for changes, assess the health of roosts, find where pups are born, and even recover endangered species. If your bat observation meets the criteria below, please consider submitting your observation.
Just a few minutes of your time can help DNR monitor bats and improve management for these amazing mammals.
Big brown bats found roosting in a barn, St. Joseph County
Anyone can report bat roosts!
Typical roosts include bat boxes, barns, attics, garages, and trees, though they could be using other areas as roosts too.
- If you know of an active bat roost, please take a few minutes to report the observation. Here is what we are collecting:
- Total count of live bats
- Date
- Location of roost
- Type of roost
- Photos or video
- Your contact information, for any follow up questions.
- Obtaining a count of bats is safe and easy! From a safe distance, count the bats:
- Just before dawn or just after dusk when bats are emerging from the roost
- Or from a photo or quick look at the roosting bats
- No one wants to be disturbed while sleeping. Here’s how to minimize the disturbance to bats.
- Keep a respectful distance
- Stay quiet and calm
- Don’t shine lights on the bats
Counting bats as they emerge just after dusk is an easy time commitment and fun for families. These bat houses near Indianapolis were occupied by endangered Indiana bats.
While we value your observations, only certain types of observations can be used to learn about trends driving roost selection and population trends. Please do not submit the following to Report a Bat:
- Dead bats – These reports should be submitted to our Sick / Dead Wildlife Report. DNR fish and wildlife health biologists will track these reports and respond as necessary.
- Orphaned or Injured bats – DNR does not provide services for orphaned or injured wildlife, though permitted wildlife rehabilitators may be able to help in some instances.
- Any other animal – Out of respect for your time, please only submit reports of bats.
- Historic observations – We are currently investigating active roosts.
We are interested in reports year-round. The timing of reports can help us learn different things about bat populations.
- Summer roost counts can help identify maternity colonies.
- Two counts at the same roost can help identify how many pups were born that summer.
- Winter roost counts identify where certain species are seeking shelter from the cold.
- Reports can help guide connections between landowners and permitted wildlife control operators or wildlife rehabilitators.
There are two ways to help with roost monitoring as a volunteer, and both are meaningful contributions to bat conservation.
- Report bat roosts! This is a great way to get valuable data to DNR about bats, and it is a minimal time commitment.
- Sign up as a volunteer with DNR or Division of Fish, Wildlife, & Nature Preserves! As opportunities become available for bat surveys, we will ask volunteers if they are willing to count bats at known roosts.
A roost is where bats go to rest; there are three types of roosts day roost, night roost, maternity roost.
- Day roost – an area bats go to sleep during daylight hours. Typically, an area that provides more protection from disturbance caused by temperatures, predators, or weather.
- Night roost – an area bats go during the night to rest, digest, or avoid weather. Typically, an area that is protected from wind or rain, that may not completely hide them, and that they don’t remain in for long.
Knowing where, when, and what roosts bats are using can help DNR biologists understand how bat populations are changing through time in response to ongoing threats and management efforts. Roost monitoring is an effective way to collect population data on bat species that can otherwise be difficult to observe.
Information from the Summer Bat Roost Monitoring Project will help biologists evaluate roost selection, population trends, species distribution, and potential impacts from disease.
More information about bats
Explore our other webpages to learn more about the Bats of Indiana and how you can help them. DNR biologists monitor bats using different techniques throughout the year, check out these surveys and more here.
