Oregon bat wins annual Bat Beauty Contest

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - On Tuesday a local Oregon bat won the annual Bureau of Land Management Bat Beauty Contest for the second year in a row.

The winning bat is William ShakespEAR, a Townsend’s big-eared bat from Butte Falls. During the final round, ShakespEAR beat out Gizmo, an Allen’s Big-Eared Bat, to win the crown.

Emma Busk, a BLM wildlife technician photographed ShakespEAR, while Gizmo was photographed by Dillion Metcalfe from Bat Conservation International.

Every October, the BLM hosts a bat beauty contest to find the most gorgeous bat that has been photographed on BLM public lands across the country. The event begins on Oct. 24 and ends on Halloween and coincides with International Bat Week to help raise awareness for bat conservation.

In 2022, a canyon bat named Barbara from Lake County was the winner of the contest.

William ShakespEAR is a Townsend’s big-eared bat, which is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species because of their decline in numbers and their vulnerability to human disturbance.

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