The Biodiversity and Bioindicators Research Group (BiBio) has identified a Bechstein’s bat specimen in Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park for the first time. It’s an endangered bat species in Catalunya, with very few sightings, mostly in the Pre-Pyrenean mountain range at altitudes between 500 and 1,000 metres.
According to researchers, the discovery represents an altitude record for the species on the Iberian Peninsula and is the second highest sighting in Europe. This capture confirms the great diversity of bats at Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park, where 22 of the 29 species present in Catalunya have already been located.
The discovery occurred on 17 September as part of a commission the natural park gave to BiBio researchers, linked to the Granollers Natural Sciences Museum, to search for rare bat species and complete Catalunya’s Bat Monitoring Programme. During the campaign, they captured and released 150 bats from eight different species, amongst which the exceptional Bechstein’s bat finding stands out.
Experts highlight the double value of the discovery. On the one hand, it’s the first time the species’ presence has been confirmed at Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park. On the other, the sighting was made at 1,870 metres altitude, the highest record on the Iberian Peninsula and close to the maximum European altitude recorded, at 1,907 metres in Poland.
The species’ presence at this height could be linked to rising temperatures due to climate change, given that the campaign took place with unusually high night temperatures for September, around 20 degrees Celsius. This finding allows for strengthening the conservation work on the few mature forest remnants in the park, places where female Bechstein’s bats and other forest bats can find refuge.
The campaign has also expanded knowledge about the most important known population of silver-tipped bat on the Iberian Peninsula, a species whose refuge areas and insect hunting zones are being investigated. Bechstein’s bat lives in mature, well-preserved deciduous forests with old trees, especially in oak and beech forests in temperate environments, mainly in central and eastern Europe.
In Catalunya, the species has very few sightings, almost always in the Pre-Pyrenean mountain range and between 500 and 1,000 metres altitude. Bats are the only flying mammals and play an essential role in controlling pest insects, both in forests and crops. In Catalunya, bats are protected and serve as bioindicators of the conservation status of various habitats.
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