Eleanor Takes Flight: Tracking a Silver-Haired Bat’s Journey Back to the Wild
October 27, 2026
Meet Eleanor, the silver-haired bat contributing to a new bat-tracking study led by our partners at University of Nebraska - Omaha and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission! She arrived at the Baldwin Wildlife Center earlier this month after a rescuer found her grounded near their home. With no signs of injury or impairment and a perfect score on her flight test, it was time for release - but not before a quick visit from biologist and educator Dr. Jeremy White!
Dr. White and his team at UNO recently began work on an innovative bat-tracking project using Bluetooth technology to better understand bat movements and migration along the Missouri River Corridor. Unlike traditional radio tags, which rely on specialized tracking towers or handheld receivers, the new transmitters can also be detected by nearby Bluetooth-enabled devices, including smartphones with location services turned on. Because most people carry a potential receiver in their pockets, this technology dramatically expands opportunities to track bats, particularly in populated areas like Omaha.
Eleanor pictured here with a blu-bat tracker safely attached to her back!
Once she hit the skies, Eleanor generated more than 1,500 detections as she moved from her release site in Omaha north toward Florence and Ponca Hills before beginning what appears to be a southward migration into Kansas. She’s pictured above with her Bluetooth tag transmitter, which was attached by trimming a small area of fur on her back between the shoulders and securing the device with surgical bonding adhesive. These lightweight trackers typically remain attached for one to two weeks but can collect data for up to a month!
This project is exciting for several reasons. We’re thrilled to play a small part in research that could help scientists uncover new insights into bat movements, migration patterns, and habitat use. But perhaps most exciting is the opportunity to follow an animal beyond the moment of release, a milestone that has long been difficult for wildlife rehabilitators to achieve.
Rehab doesn't end when an animal leaves our care. Release is the beginning of its next chapter, and over the years we’ve had few opportunities to learn where that chapter takes our patients. Eleanor is helping change that. Her journey offers a rare glimpse into the life of a bat returning to the wild and brings us one step closer to understanding what happens after our patients take flight. Where will Eleanor go next? We’ll be watching!
Adopt the Bat Nursery at the Baldwin Wildlife Center!
Want to help bats in rehab? By adopting the bat nursery, you’ll directly support the care of injured and displaced bats at The Baldwin Wildlife Center. As a Nursery Steward, you’ll help provide the specialized care, safe housing, and medical treatment these remarkable animals need to recover and return to the wild at our annual bat release event at The RiverFront in downtown Omaha.
Your support makes that moment possible. Learn more by selecting the button below.
