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ABSTRACT.-Forest bats, including evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis), sometimes roost in manmade structures, such as barns and bridges, but here we report the first observations of evening bats using bird nest boxes for roosting on multiple occasions between 2012 and 2019, a few kilometers north of Jonesboro, Arkansas. Most encounters were in August, when the nesting season is almost finished. We discuss timing and factors that may explain use of bird nest boxes for roosting by bats.
INTRODUCTION
During the day bats roost in places that can provide a microclimate suitable for thermoregulation and protection from predators and unfavorable weather conditions (Kunz and Lumsden, 2003). For noncave-obligate species, natural roost sites include rock crevices (Whitby et al, 2013), foliage and large cavities of live trees, as well as exfoliating bark, cavities, or crevices of dead trees (Drake et al, 2020). With mature forests lost to the timber industry, conversion to agriculture, and urban development, bats may also roost in manmade structures (Jones et al., 2009), such as bridges and attics (Keeley and Tutde, 1999; Voigt et al, 2016). Artificial bat boxes also have been designed to attract solitary bats and maternity colonies with variable success (Mering and Chambers, 2014; Ruegger, 2016; Ruegger et al, 2019).
The evening bat [Nycticeius humeralis (Rafmesque)] is a forest-dwelling, insectivorous species of eastern North America, and its range has been expanding for at least the last 6 у (Andersen et al, 2017; Kaarakka et al, 2018). In the summer months, this species typically roosts under loose bark, in snags of pine {Pinusspp.) or hardwood trees (Watkins, 1972; Menzel etai, 1999, 2001; Boyles and Robbins, 2006; Istvanko et al, 2016). Uncommon roosts include Spanish moss {Tillandsia usneoides (L.) L.; Jennings, 1958), tree foliage, leaf litter, and underground (Perry and Thill, 2008). Evening bats also use manmade structures, such as buildings (Watkins, 1972; Clem, 1993), large community bat houses (Florida Museum, 2020), and, on rare occasions, bridges (Keeley and Tuttle, 1999) and bat boxes (Adams et al, 2015). Although some bat species in Europe and Australia roost in bird houses (Goldingay and Stevens, 2009; Rueegger, 2016), we only know of one North American study reporting five big brown bats [Eptesicus fiiscus (Palisot de Beauvois)] communally roosting in a bird house (Brigham and...