b'Determining Bat Species via Foraging Call Characteristics within Lowndes CountyTrevor K. HaskinsSponsor: Dr. Brad Bergstrom, Department of BiologyDuring the autumn of 2019, bat foraging calls were recorded within Lowndes County and identified based upon call characteristics. The state of Georgia is home to fifteen species of microbat, members of the suborder Microchiroptera. These bats use echolocation pulses from their larynx to identify their surroundings and potential prey. Through the use of Wildlife Acoustics Echo Meter 2 attachment for smart phone devices, foraging calls were recorded and later identified with Kaleidoscope software. Seven out of the fifteen Microchiropteran species were identified based on foraging call characteristics. Warmer temperatures tended to result in higher counts of foraging call recordings. It is possible that population density can be inferred from the number of instances a particular species was identified. In this study, the Hoary Bat, Lasiurus cinereus, and the Mexican Free-tailed Bat, Tadaria brasiliensis, were most prevalent. Manual identification of foraging calls is paramount to the identification process, however; application data within the Echo Meter 2 application would commonly misidentify species.Assessing Avifauna at West Nile Virus Surveillance SiteKelsey Griffin, Amber Holley and Sarah YoungbloodSponsor: Dr. Mark Blackmore and Dr. Erin Grabarczyk, Department of BiologyWest Nile virus (WNV) is an avian pathogen that is transmitted by mosquito vectors to susceptible birds and dead-end hosts such as humans and horses. WNV was first detected in Georgia in 2001 and has become endemic in the state. Surveillance in Lowndes Co., GA has identified foci of virus activity in mosquitoes, but it is not clear how this relates to the avifauna at these locations. Diversity and density of bird populations are being assessed using passive acoustic monitoring devices at 14 locations where long-term vector surveillance has been conducted. Our study is an essential step towards understanding how avian communities predict WNV in mosquito and human populations.17'