Rare bat discovery takes Jersey species total to 19

A rare barbastelle bat has been confirmed in Jersey for the first time, taking the island's total number of recorded bat species to 19.

The animal was discovered during licensed surveys near Rozel and fitted with a Bluetooth tracking tag to reveal where it travels.

Anika Binet, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Sussex, discovered the bat and said she hoped to find out whether it remains in Jersey or moves between the Channel Islands and France.

She said finding the bat was "incredibly exciting" as there had been possible sightings of the species reported on the island since 2024.

Binet's research project in Jersey aims to identify maternity roosts used by Natterer's bats and better understand their habitat selection and colony ranges through the use of radio and Bluetooth tracking tags.

She uses Apple's Find My network, allowing her to track its movements when it comes within range of a suitable device.

"This means that Jersey residents and holiday makers alike can help with the project without doing anything out of the ordinary, by just making sure their Bluetooth and location are switched on," she said.

Binet said the discovery did not necessarily mean the species was new to the island.

"Bats in the Channel Islands are very understudied; therefore, discovery of a new species doesn't automatically mean that they haven't been here for a long time," she said.

"The more we are able to find out about bats in Jersey, the better able we are to conserve this important biodiversity indicator species."

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