No. 2 2026 - Inventory of bats at Nordens Ark
This study summarises an acoustic inventory of bats at Nordens Ark, Sweden, and assesses their activity across different habitats. Passive acoustic monitoring was conducted at 13 sampling points in the wildlife zoo and Ecopark over three nights in July 2026. A total of 3592 bat passes were recorded, confirming the presence of at least seven species: Eptesicus nilssonii, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis brandtii/mystacinus, Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Plecotus auritus, and Vespertilio murinus. Bat activity was detected at all sampling points, with the highest activity and species richness recorded at forest edges. Compared with an inventory conducted in 2013, this study recorded higher bat activity and detected P. pygmaeus for the first time at Nordens Ark. The results indicate that Nordens Ark supports a relatively rich bat community and provides valuable habitats for bats.