The Hoary Bat has soared to victory as the Favorite Bat of 2024 in WA Bat Week Contest! With an impressive 186 votes cast among 8 competing bat species, this stunning bat-with its frosted coat and impressive size, truly captured the hearts of voters securing its place as the champion.

But the Hoary Bat isn't just a pretty face. It plays a crucial role in the economy, here in Washington and beyond, providing essential pest control services valued at an astounding $23 billion annually across North America.

Sadly, this magnificent species faces significant challenges. As a migratory bat, the Hoary Bat often encounters hazardous wind turbines during its long journeys. Experts at BCI warn that, without intervention, we could see a 50% decline in their population by 2028.

The good news is that bat conservationists are actively working with the wind energy industry to address these issues. Innovative solutions, such as slowing or halting turbine blades during peak migration times, show great promise in reducing bat fatalities. These collaborative efforts aim to ensure a sustainable future for both wind energy and our cherished bats.

Let’s celebrate the Hoary Bat’s well-deserved recognition and inspire others to become champions for these remarkable animals. Join us in raising awareness about the importance of protecting our bat populations!

Meet the Contestants

Bat Benatar Little Brown Bat

Bio: Trained as a coloratura with plans to attend the Juilliard School, but flying got in the way.
Quote: “Hit me with your best shot.”

Bat Facts: 

  • One of the smaller species in Washington; it ranges across much of North America

  • Its appearance is very similar to the Yuma myotis, a species of the western states.

  • Little brown bats have an affinity for roosting in buildings; their maternity colonies may number in the hundreds

  • Little brown bats have been severely impacted by white-nose syndrome throughout their range, including Washington.

Batty Davis Spotted Bat

Bio: With her distinctive eyes, Batty gives the curious feeling of being charged with a power which can find no ordinary outlet. Fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be a bumpy night if you go flying with Batty Davis. 

Quote:   “Don't ask for the moon. We have the stars.” also “Peel me a grape”.

Bat Facts:

  • One of the larger bat species in WA; recognizable by its black fur with two large white spots on the shoulders and one on the rump, as well as its enormous pink ears

  • Found in arid habitats, shrub-steppe and coniferous forests the western states and British Columbia and Mexico

  • They produced a low-pitched echolocation call that is audible to us

  • Rocky areas; in WA vertical cliffs of columnar basalt are used as day roosts.

Bat Damon Big Brown Bat

Bio: Strong jaws, handsome looks and incredible charm make him one of the best known bats in Washington.
Quote: “I don’t want to be arrogant here, but I’m the greatest bat on this planet”. 

Bat Facts: 

  • One of the largest bats in WA, it has a robust body, a large head, and strong jaws suited to eating the tough exoskeletons of beetles.

  • Habitat generalists that occupy a variety of forest types, rangeland, and urban areas.

  • Females roost in maternity colonies with their pups

  • strong affinity for roosting in buildings, and are sometimes referred to as house bat or barn bat.

Marilyn Monroebat Hoary Bat

Bio: international jet setter who loves being seen in fur. She flys high to parties with her friends.

Quote: “The sky is not the limit. Your mind is.”

Bat Facts:

  • The largest bat in Washington; it has the widest geographic distribution of any bat in the New World

  • its fur is a mixture of yellowish-brown, dark brown, and white, giving it a distinctive frost or “hoary” appearance

  • Hoary bats roost in the foliage of trees

  • Females usually roost solitarily and frequently give birth to twins

  • Hoary bats migrate from the Pacific Northwest in the fall, most likely overwintering in California and Mexico

Batsy Cline Pallid Bat

Bio: One of the most influential vocalist bats, Batsy roams over western North America.
Quote: “I’m flying after midnight, searching for you.”

Bat Facts:

  • The second-largest bat in Washington; its fur is pale yellow with creamy white underparts.

  • Pallid bats occur across western North America in dry environments such as eastern Washington.

  • Pallid bats prey on ground-dwelling or slow-flying arthropods such as crickets, grasshoppers, moths, beetles, and scorpions.

  • Prey are often detected by their rustling sounds rather than by echolocation.

Wingston Churchill Silver haired Bat

Bio: Famous for his inspiring speeches and for his refusal to give in, Wingston is considered by many to be the greatest bat of all time. 

Quote: “All I can promise you is blood, sweat, tears, and owls”

Bat Facts:

  • A medium-sized bat with black or dark brown hairs tipped in silver.

  • Range across North American into northeastern Mexico

  • Preferred habitats in Washington include forests throughout the state

  • Silver-haired bats are migratory across much of their range.
    Males and females may occupy separate summer ranges but come together as fall migration progresses in late August and September.

Batty Boop California Myotis

Bio: Batty is a reminder of the more carefree days of Jazz Age flappers.

Quote: "You know what they call me around Halloween time? Batty Boo!"

Bat Facts:

  • One of the smallest bats in Washington.

  • Found in western states, British Columbia and Mexico.

  • Roost sites include tree cavities, caves, buildings and bridges

  • In western Washington, California myotis may be active year-round whenever insects are available; these individuals don’t appear to migrate or hibernate unlike many other bat species

Taylor Bat Townsend’s Big-eared

Bio: Taylor spent her early years on the family’s Christmas tree farm. She now entertains rapt audiences across several continents.

Quote: "I think fearless is having fears but flying anyway."

Bat Facts:

  • Recognized by large ears and two prominent lumps on either side of the nostrils

  • One of several closely-related big-eared bat species, found in the western half of the US into Mexico.

  • Roosts are in caves, mines, abandoned buildings, and bridges. Although maternity roosts are susceptible to disturbance, some bats return to the same roost year after year.

  • Quiet echolocation make it difficult to detect them with bat detectors, accounting for the rarity in acoustic surveys.