TUCSON, Ariz. — Do you own a hummingbird feeder? If so, you're research skills are needed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department.
According to a press release, the organization is seeking volunteers throughout Southern Arizona to monitor nectar-feeding bat activity. AZGFD says bats have been known to swoop in for a midnight snack when a hummingbird feeder is nearby.
“Most of Arizona’s 28 bat species eat insects, but two species drink nectar and eat pollen from plants such as the saguaro and agaves. These bats are becoming common visitors to southern Arizona hummingbird feeders in late summer and early fall,” said AGFD Regional Supervisor Raul Vega.
The two species AZGFD is referring to are the lesser long-nosed bat and the Mexican long-tongued bat.
"These gentle, beneficial pollinators live in caves and mines. During summer nights, they travel in search of food, and over time, have found their way to hummingbird feeders in southern Arizona. The bats are migratory and return to Mexico in the fall," AZGFD said.
This research will go towards better understanding the current population levels of the two bat species.
Volunteers will be asked to check their hummingbird feeders two or three times a week for signs of bat use and to report their findings online.
If you're interested in participating, contact Emily Scobie with the Arizona Game and FIsh Department: escobie@azgfd.gov.
For more information, visit azgfd.com.
