Hoary bat in flight. Photo by Josh Hydeman / Bat Conservation International

The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is one of the largest insectivorous bats in North America and, some may argue, the coolest looking. With their impressive yellow, white, and black pelage (the science word for fur) these bats prowl the skies for moths and beetles in Mexico, the U.S. (including Hawaii), and Canada.

Hoary bats are part of a group of bats known as migratory tree bats. Unlike many bats, hoaries don’t gather in colonies, rather they travel solo and find roosts in the foliage of large trees. Lucky binocular users might find a hoary bat with its face covered by its furred tail membrane while it hangs protected from the weather and out of reach of predators.

As a long-distance migrant, hoary bats undertake an annual migration from unknown wintering grounds in Mexico all the way to the prairies of Canada in the summer, where females will give birth to twin pups and care for them until they are ready to forage on their own. While this strategy helps hoary bats get through the winter and take advantage of the productive habitats at higher latitudes in the summer, migration is a dangerous time for these bats.

For reasons unknown, hoary bats are attracted to wind energy generators and are found dead in large numbers at wind farms, presumably due to collisions with spinning turbine blades. Researchers are working to better understand why hoary bats approach and examine wind turbines. The leading hypothesis suggests that bats are attracted to light reflected from turbine structures, much like they orient to twilight on the horizon and moonlit trees.

Like most bats, hoaries are often misunderstood as creepy, but the truth is they play a critical role in ecosystems, are caring mothers, and are very smart. You can help by learning about and advocating for bats whenever possible.