Dr Kieran O'Malley

Great to see my PhD research on barbastelle bat flight behaviour over roads featured by the University of Sussex on Research at Sussex! 🦇

📰 Scientific Reports article: lnkd.in/eHBZweAj

🔗 ResearchGate: lnkd.in/eFt_-ijZ

…and if you want to see the actual 3D reconstructed flight paths (which I think are pretty cool anyway), check them out here: doi.org/10.6084/m9.f... 🦇💨

Increasing canopy cover elevates vehicle collision risk for barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) at roads - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - Increasing canopy cover elevates vehicle collision risk for barbastelle bats (Barbastella barbastellus) at roads

📢 New paper from my PhD! 🦇

Using 3D reconstructions of barbastelle bat flight paths over roads, we found that increasing canopy cover leads to lower flight heights, elevating collision risk.

@vincentwt.bsky.social @sussex.ac.uk
#PhD #Bats #Ecology #Conservation

🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Here is a very cool piebald Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus labiatus) that we caught last month in Lilongwe, Malawi! 🦇

Piebaldism is a rare genetic condition caused by the absence of melonocytes in certain patches of skin and fur.

#bats #research #fieldwork #malawi #wildlife

Anyone have any thoughts what the cause of this baldness could be in this Angolan free-tailed bat? Caught just now in Kuti Wildlife Reserve, Malawi!

#bats #Malawi #fieldwork #africa #nature #wildlife

Here’s a striking large-eared free-tailed bat (Otomops martiensseni) from Ntchisi Forest Reserve, one of Malawi’s last rainforests 🌳

This was the first record of this species in Malawi for @africanbatcon.bsky.social 🦇🎉

#bats #ntchisi #Malawi #conservation #fieldwork #rainforest

We recently visited the site and spotted the bats ourselves—confirming they’re slit-faced bats (Nycteris sp.). Some great footage captured by Kuti Wildlife Reserve! 🦇🦔

#Wildlife #Bats #CameraTrap #Coexistence #Malawi #Nature

Many years later, I finally got a good slow-mo of a bat release—helped by the fact it was a big slow bat: the Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi), caught near the tea plantations of Mount Mulanje🦇⛰️☕️

#bats #Malawi #mulanje #mountmulanje #fieldwork #nature #wildlife #conservation

Whilst we try not to catch birds whilst mist netting for bats, this nightjar was certainly a nice surprise! Caught at Kumbali Game Reserve just outside Lilongwe, Malawi 🇲🇼 🐦‍⬛

#nightjar #birds #bats #nature #fieldwork #lilongwe #malawi #wildlife

Last month, my team at @africanbatcon.bsky.social did some research at Kuti Wildlife Reserve. Whilst there, we were joined by a few guests — free-tailed bat pups! 🦇

The pups had fallen from their roost, but we managed to reunite them with their mothers after some care

#Bats #Conservation #Wildlife

Two for one! We knew from radiotracking that there were a few lions in the area, but it was a nice surprise to have them join us while we watched the cheetah. A worthwhile weekend escape with @leastracq.bsky.social to Liwonde National Park! 🦁🐆

#Wildlife #LiwondeNationalPark #Lions #Cheetah #Malawi

Exciting opportunity to join our team at African Bat Conservation! 🦇 We're looking for a Research Assistant to support fieldwork across Malawi.

#conservationjobs #bats #wildlifejobs #research

I found this beautiful stray dog last night. I wonder what breed it is? 🤔

#Malawi #Africa #Cute #Scorpion #Nature #Widlife #KutiWildifeReserve

POV: You get distracted by some bats in a tree for just a moment… and a monkey steals your dinner 🐒🌳

#WildlifeEncounters #MonkeyBusiness #VervetMonkey #Monkey #Malawi #KutiWildlifeReserve

Please do join! I'll be on a panel of bat experts later today, discussing all things bats! 🦇

#Bats #Conservation #Wildlife #Ecology

Myself and the @africanbatcon.bsky.social team have escaped the city for some fieldwork at Kuti Wildlife Reserve, helping a student investigate how lighting affects bat behaviour! 🦇🌿

We started the day with a few zebras for company at breakfast! 🦓☕

#Fieldwork #WildlifeConservation #Bats #Malawi

And now pee...

Being shit on by a straw-coloured fruit bat is just another day in the office 💩 🦇

This is normal for everyone, right...?

#bats #fieldwork #poop #splat #nature #officelife #malawi #lilongwe #wildlife #poophappens

I question that myself, it's rainy season here so most days we end up cancelling 😂

Bat survey with a local bar is always a nice bonus 🦇

...and of course, the hundreds of free-tailed bats we had emerging was quite nice too

#bats #lilongwe #Malawi #survey #roost #nature

Straw-coloured fruit bats emerging at dusk! 🦇

My team at @africanbatcon.bsky.social and Land & Lake Safaris hosted a bat walk in Lilongwe on Friday, where we were joined by around 80 people. Great to see so much interest in bats!

#conservation #bats #nature #lilongwe #malawi #fruitbats #wildlife

It was nice to spend a few weeks away from Malawi and back to the UK for some miserable weather. New Years in the Lake District was particularly wet and windy, but otherwise fun 🌬🌧⛰️

#lakedistrict #outdoors #hiking #nature #lakes #mountains #lakewindermere #coniston #pikeofblisco

Revisited Nkhoma mountain for some bouldering last weekend. Very fortunate to have this amazing spot just a short drive from Lilongwe! 🧗‍♂️⛰️

@leastracq.bsky.social #bouldrering #climbing #mountains #nkhoma #Malawi #outdoors #nature #adventure

One of the few free-tailed bats we caught last night with @africanbatcon.bsky.social 🦇

This one's most likely the white-bellied (Mops niveiventer) or the Angolan (Mops condylurus) free-tailed bat.

#Bats #Conservation #Surveys #Lilongwe #Malawi

Happy to answer any questions you may have!

Come join us at @africanbatcon.bsky.social! 🦇

We're hiring a Research Assistant based in Lilongwe, with time spent across our various field sites. Gain experience in trapping, acoustics, and roost surveys. Perfect for bat lovers!

Please share!

To apply: www.africanbatconservation.org/vacancies

Would be great to be added, I'm the research manager @africanbatcon.bsky.social

I've recently joined the team at African Bat Conservation, a non-profit organisation based in Malawi🦇

To stay updated on their latest research and conservation activities, be sure to give them a follow @africanbatcon.bsky.social

#bats #research #conservation #wildlife #nature

It was a pleasure to attend, even if I had to borrow clothes since I didn't pack anything smart for Africa!

Cameroon leaf-nosed bat (Doryrhina camerunensis) from Nyungwe National Park - this was the first time this data deficient species had been detected in #Rwanda 🦇