Evidence has recently emerged that migratory birds are among the prey taken by 2 large insectivorous bat species in Europe and India. This raises the question of whether large aerial-hawking bats in other temperate regions also make use of this food resource. We analyzed the diet of the birdlike noctule (Nyctalus aviator), one of the largest aerial-hawking bats in Japan, and found bird remains in pellets collected in spring, autumn, and early winter, but not in summer. Predation on birds may be a widespread behavior among large, fast-flying insectivorous bats in temperate regions. Our results would provide new perspectives on the ecological and evolutionary interactions between bats and birds.
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1 June 2013
Bird predation by the birdlike noctule in Japan
Dai Fukui,
Hiroshi Dewa,
Setsuko Katsuta,
Akiyoshi Sato
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Journal of Mammalogy
Vol. 94 • No. 3
June 2013
Vol. 94 • No. 3
June 2013
carnivory
diet
fecal analysis
Japan
migrating birds
Nyctalus aviator