Bat Box

 

Location: Corktown Common

Date photo taken: 19 June 2023

Walking around the eastern side of the hill at Corktown Common this summer, I noticed several of these installations. They're called rocket boxes and they provide roosting habitat for bats. Did you know that eight species of bat call Ontario home? Or that four of those eight are considered endangered? Habitat loss is one aspect contributing to their demise and these boxes help to provide a solution. That said, not a lot is known about the roosting habits of particular bat species, but several organizations are working to change that. The Toronto Zoo and the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority are two of them, working together to record and monitor bat populations and habits. The square box mounted lower on the pole contains a mesh screen which captures falling guano from the box, which can be analyzed to determine what types of bats are roosting inside. I'm not sure who is responsible for installing these particular boxes but I hope that they are well received by the locals, both bat and human alike.

To learn more about bats, check out this publication by the Toronto Zoo. In addition to general  information, plans for bat boxes, and some myth-busting, it includes some unexpectedly adorable bat portraits.