guano bat

9.9

A common bat with short soft fur found in the southern United States that flies south in winter

noun
/ˈɡwɑːnoʊ bæt/

: murciélago guanero

During their seasonal migration, thousands of guano bats leave their roosts in massive swarms.

Examples

The guano bat is frequently seen at dusk, hunting insects over open fields.
Researchers study the guano bat to better understand its role in cave ecosystems.
The guano bat is known for its unique migration patterns.
Many guano bats migrate south during the winter months.
During their seasonal migration, thousands of guano bats leave their roosts in massive swarms.
Researchers study the guano bat to better understand its role in cave ecosystems.
The guano bat is frequently seen at dusk, hunting insects over open fields.

Synonyms

Tadarida brasiliensis

vsguano bat

Specialized

9.9

A fast bat called the Brazilian free-tailed bat that lives and migrates in parts of North and South America

is the common regional name rather than the formal scientific label

Mexican freetail bat

vsguano bat

6.7

A small bat with short soft fur that migrates south in winter in the southern United States and Central America

includes a broader range and notes southward winter movement

Surface Forms

guano bat singular

guano bats plural

Morphology

guano + bat

The compound 'guano bat' straightforwardly combines 'guano' (excrement used as fertilizer) and 'bat' (a flying mammal) to denote a bat associated with guano; there is no idiomatic or metaphorical shift in meaning. A B1 learner who knows both constituent words would readily infer it refers to a type of bat linked to guano, so the lexical composition is transparent.

Etymology

The name guano bat comes from the fact these animals called bats make large piles of guano, bat droppings used as 'fertilizer'. Because people found so much guano in their caves, the name guano bat came to mean this particular bat species.