The role of heterothermy in the migration and overwintering strategies of bats and birds

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Wildlife must ensure they have energy to support their immediate needs and cope with expected (e.g., winter) and unexpected (e.g., disease) energetic bottlenecks. The balance of energy demand and availability affects many aspects of ecology and evolution, especially for species living in seasonal environments. The long-term goal of my research program is to understand the ecological, physiological, and behavioural strategies animals use to overcome natural and anthropogenic stressors. My research focusses largely on two energetically demanding periods: migration and hibernation. Hibernating bats must survive months without food each winter. Our previous research has focussed on the energetics of hibernation, with particular emphasis on White-nose syndrome, an introduced disease that has killed millions of bats. Moving forward, we will consider the critical periods before and after hibernation to understand how bats prepare for, and recover from, hibernation given challenging environmental conditions and complications of white-nose syndrome. Migration is another energetically demanding strategy bats and birds use to escape winter. In past work with migrating bats we identified the importance of torpor-assisted migration, a strategy where bats use torpor (reduction of body temperature and metabolic rate) as an energy saving strategy during daytime roosting periods. We will continue to investigate the broader implications of how torpor-assisted migration affects landscape- and regional-scale movement patterns, and variation among sexes and species. Furthermore, we will expand this work to understand the degree to which some birds may use a similar strategy. Few birds can use torpor as bats do, but some species may reduce body temperature and metabolic rate to a lesser extent, which may have important energetic implications. My research program trains scientists at all career stages, including undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, and research technicians. Trainees learn a variety of skills related to field research and laboratory techniques, critical thinking, statistical analysis, and scientific communication. We share our research at local, national, and international conferences and publish in a wide variety of scientific journals. Our research has direct applications for conservation of vulnerable wildlife. Hibernating bats are threatened by White-nose syndrome (three Endangered Species in Canada), migrating bats are killed by wind turbines (research suggests risk of extinction), and more than a quarter of Canadian bird species are declining. A lack of knowledge about the basic biology of these species hinders efforts to understand threats and propose solutions. My research program contributes critical baseline information and informs potential interventions. We collaborate with a variety of stakeholders, ensuring our research has an impact and providing experience and networking opportunities for trainees.