Honduras has confirmed for the first time the presence of Cormura brevirostris, a rare bat species from the family Emballonuridae, characterized by a unique diagnostic vocalization consisting of a short sequence of three consecutive calls that progressively increase in frequency. The record was obtained through acoustic monitoring in the la Moskitia region in eastern Honduras, one of the areas with the least historical coverage of bat studies in the country.
The results of this discovery were published in the scientific article “Listening northward: first evidence of Cormura brevirostris (Wagner, 1843) (Emballonuridae, Chiroptera) in Honduras”, which is available in open access at the following link: https://doi.org/10.15560/21.6.1262
Cormura brevirostris. Photos by José G. Martínez-Fonseca.
The confirmation was obtained during two sampling campaigns conducted between December 2024 and May 2025 in the community of Mavita and the Warunta Conservation Area, in the department of Gracias a Dios. Both localities are part of a mosaic of forests and riverine systems that provide suitable conditions for specialized species sensitive to disturbance.
Sonogram: Bruce Miller.
Unlike traditional methods based on capture, the identification of Cormura brevirostris was carried out through its vocalizations. The recordings obtained showed acoustic patterns clearly distinguishable from those of other bat species present in the area, allowing for accurate identification through manual review and comparison with verified acoustic reference libraries.
During the initial processing, some files were incorrectly classified by automated algorithms as species of the genus Molossus. A detailed review of call parameters made it possible to correct these identifications and unequivocally confirm the presence of Cormura brevirostris, underscoring the importance of expert validation and the risks of relying exclusively on automated software models for acoustic bat identification.
C. brevirostris is the sole representative of its genus and is considered a primarily crepuscular species, associated with forest edges and open spaces within lowland tropical humid forest landscapes. Although its presence in Honduras had been suggested in previous distribution assessments and regional checklists, no confirmed records had existed until now.
This new record extends the known distribution of the species by more than 160 kilometers northward and increases to 115 the number of bat species documented in Honduras. The finding reinforces the value of acoustic monitoring as a key tool for documenting rare or difficult-to-detect species in remote and under-sampled regions.
The work was made possible through collaboration among researchers, conservation organizations, and local communities. In Mavita, the participation of the Miskitu community and the Apu Pauni project has been crucial for forest protection and for safeguarding emblematic species such as the scarlet macaw, generating indirect benefits for the conservation of other species, including bats.
The participation of the Miskitu community has been key to forest protection and the conservation of emblematic species. Photo by Manfredo Turcios-Casco.
The study was supported by the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund (BLF), the Protected Areas and Wildlife Fund (FAPVS), the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), and local partners. The results highlight the importance of strengthening scientific research and community-based conservation in La Moskitia, a strategic region within the Mesoamerican Great Forests, currently threatened by deforestation, illegal cattle ranching, and wildlife trafficking.