Do Owls Eat Bats?
Owls do eat bats. Though not a main diet staple, birds of prey such as owls and hawks will prey upon bats. Other natural predators to the bat include other bats, snakes, raccoons, weasels, mink, and rodents. Smaller bat species sometimes fall prey to fish and bullfrogs!
What Owls Eat Bats?
Owls that eat bats include:
- Great horned owls
- Barn Owls
- Long-Eared Owls
- Tawny Owls
- Barred Owls
An interesting predator to the bat is the great horned owl known for its hunting ferocity. The great horned owl will feed on bats, birds, rabbits, skunks, woodchucks, and occasionally domesticated cats. These owls are also known to cache food for later use, often incubating it in frozen weather and consuming it once it thaws. [1][2][3]
What Animals Eat Bats?
Many animals eat bats. The predator pool grows larger with smaller bat species like the little brown bat. In addition to hawks and owls that will capture a bat in flight, many ground animals will hunt bats while roosting, such as martens, fisher cats, weasels, mink, and raccoons. A few surprising predators include mice, rats, snakes, other bats, fish, bullfrogs, and even domestic cats! [4][5]
Predators Not the Bats’ Biggest Threat
The biggest threat to bat survival is a disease known as white-nose syndrome. The disease was so named because it presents a fuzzy white fungus on bats’ muzzles and wings. It occurs in hibernating bats awakened by irritation from the disease, causing them to waste fat reserves necessary for winter survival. 6.5 million bats have already fallen victim to white-nose syndrome. [6] [7]
Resources
[1] Bats in the diet of owls on the Mazovia and Podlasie Lowlands
M Kowalski, G Lesiński – Nietoperze 3: 255–261, 2002
[2] G. Lesiński, J. Gryz & M. Kowalski (2009) Bat predation by tawny owls Strix aluco in differently human‐transformed habitats, Italian Journal of Zoology, 76:4, 415-421, DOI: 10.1080/11250000802589535
[3] Cornell Lab of Ornithology
“All About Birds: Great Horned Owls.” http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/owlp/ghowl/document_view
[4] SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
“Adirondack Ecosystem.” http://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/littlebrownbat.htm
[5] [6] The Virtual Nature Trail at Penn State Kensington
“Little Brown Bat”
https://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/little_brown_bat.html
[7] US Department of the Interior
“13 Awesome Facts About Bats”
https://www.doi.gov/blog/13-facts-about-bats
