Oregon bats seek ‘World Record’ three-peat in national beauty contest

Published 11:21 am Wednesday, October 23, 2024

The state of Oregon is going “batty” over the potential for a historic achievement — a never-before-done three-peat in an annual nationwide “Bat Beauty Contest.”

Two of our state’s most stunning flying mammals are hoping to secure enough votes to claim the coveted crown. This year’s Oregon challengers are:

Hoary Potter, a male hoary bat with a feisty personality, who will compete in the first round of the contest (began Thursday, Oct. 24).

Honey Bunches of Myotis, a long-eared myotis bat, competing in the second round (began Friday, Oct. 25).

Voting can be done online during the Bureau of Land Management’s annual contest. Learn more/cast your vote on Facebook: @Bureau of Land Management; or Instagram: @mypubliclands

Polls open across the country Thursday, Oct. 24, and close on Halloween, Oct. 31. That coincides with International Bat Week, which raises awareness about bat conservation and the essential role bats play in the natural world.

“It’s important that we fact check what we think we know about bats,” said Emma Busk, BLM wildlife technician. “There are a lot of myths around bats, but they’re amazing wildlife and they contribute so much to our ecosystem.”

And with the Bureau of Land Management caring for more than 245 million acres of public land, located primarily in the 11 western states and Alaska, those other states are working hard to bring the (proverbial) garlic and stakes to end Oregon’s batty three-peat.

The two 2024 bats have big paws to fill. Last year William ShakespEAR, a female Townsend’s big-eared bat from Butte Falls, won the contest by besting Gizmo, an Allen’s big-eared bat.

The year before, Barbara, a canyon bat from Lake County, got the 2022 crown.

All the bats that live in the Pacific Northwest are insectivorous, which means they love to munch on pests like mosquitos, beetles and moths. Just one bat can eat more than 1,200 blood-sucking mosquitoes in an hour, making our local varieties more akin to Dr. Van Helsing than Dracula, or perhaps the insect-loving Renfield. 

There are ways you can support the local bat populations, besides voting for that beautiful duo. During winter, avoid exploring mines and caves where bats may be hibernating. You can also build a bat house in your backyard.

“It’s a shelter that helps protect bats during the winter,” Busk said. “You can also make your garden more bat friendly by planting native flowers to attract insects and turning off any unnecessary lights, (and) light pollution is not great for bats.”