Bats in Focus: Ziegler

07.01.26

By Wendy K. Probst

Movement that defies gravity is tricky to catch on film.

Add to that, winged hands that can grasp prey in mid-air, little bodies that can hover above flowers and fruit, and clawed feet that can skim a water’s surface to catch fish, and you’ve got a photographic challenge.

Behind the scenes, bats live an almost cinematic life.

Enter: Photojournalist and filmmaker Christian Ziegler. Ziegler works at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPIAB) in Konstanz, Germany as an outreach photographer and is a regular contributor to National Geographic and GEO magazine. Trained as a tropical ecologist, he has worked in tropical rainforests on four continents and is a Communications Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama. On behalf of STRI, and with a lot of teamwork from a dedicated group of scientists, he co-published and photographed Bat Island: A Rare Journey into the Hidden World of Tropical Bats—a book dedicated to the bats of Barro Colorado Island.

Barro Colorado Island (also aptly known as Bat Island) is a small island in the Panama Canal where an astonishing seventy-six bat species coexist across nine families — including Phyllostomidae, Emballonuridae, Molossidae, Mormoopidae, Noctilionidae, Vespertilionidae, Thyropteridae, Natalidae, and Furipteridae.

So, what’s the short story behind some of Ziegler’s favorite winged mammalian images, what did it take to get the shots, and why does he do it?  

Story Behind the Photo

A great fruit-eating bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) flying over a fruiting fig tree.

What’s distinct about this set of photos?

I wanted the selection to show bats from multiple perspectives—what they eat, how they roost, what they fear, their environment, and even their social lives. When I think about these images, I also think about the people behind the science—like Dina Dechmann and Jenna Kohles at STRI—especially moments like group foraging.

How do photography and research go hand in hand? 

Photography allows me to document species at each of my survey sites. I have been able to corroborate species IDs and locality information just by going back to the photos I’ve taken. Right now, I am trying to perfect semi-automated bat photography setups as a method to survey bat species in the dry forest of Central America. Knowing the ecology of the bats I might encounter in these scenarios has been crucial in getting useful photographs for both outreach and research. 

Story Behind the Photo

Multiflash images of greater bulldog bats (Noctilio leporinus) over Laboratory Cove at the entrance to the Barro Colorado research station allow scientists to understand how these bats use their enormous feet and coordinated echolocation behavior to capture fish.

Can you break down some of the work it took to get these shots? 

Some shots took weeks, literally weeks, while others came together in half an hour. The crane image of the Jamaican fruit bat at STRI is a good example. I tried three separate times. It was complicated because the fig tree under the crane only fruits for about a week in March or April. So first, I had to confirm the tree was actually fruiting. Then I had to convince a crane operator to run the crane at night, it had never been done before. 

I started by offering him beers, then red wine, and finally a seafood dinner on the third attempt. Timing was everything, because once the figs were ripe, the window was very short. In the end, though, I got the shot.

Story Behind the Photo

A Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) performs acrobatic maneuvering to grab a fig. Frugivorous bats use a combination of olfactory and echolocation cues to find ripe fruits and play critical roles in regenerating forests and maintaining healthy ecosystems by dispersing seeds.

What was the climate like? 

Hot and humid . . . very sticky. But I actually love that. At night it cools down a bit, and it feels like being wrapped in a warm blanket of air.

What went on behind the scenes? 

There was always something going on. I was out mist-netting on Barro Coronado Island, working on the canopy crane near Panama City, riding on a fire truck in Gamboa to photograph bats, shooting inside a flight cage, or standing on the dock trying to catch a photo of a bulldog bat. It was intense, but we had a lot of fun.

What was going on in your mind and how did you feel? 

It was a mix of excitement and exhaustion. When things didn’t work for a long time, it could be frustrating. But in the end, I usually got the shot, and that made it worth it.

I started photographing bats in 1998 using slide film, which made everything much slower. I had to send exposed film to the U.S., which took at least two weeks, because there wasn’t a good photo lab in Panama. It was expensive, and there were plenty of disappointments, especially when I first tried to photograph bats in flight. That was a disaster. 

Switching to digital photography changed everything. Suddenly I had immediate feedback. What used to take three or four months, I could accomplish in a single night. The timing and the flashes were very difficult.

Who was with you at the time? 

I was lucky to have great company. Early on, I worked a lot with Eli Kalko, who was a leading bat researcher who served as a staff scientist STRI where she became renowned for pioneering work on the ecology, behavior, and echolocation of Neotropical bats. Later, I spent time with behavioral ecologist Dina Dechmann and bat biologist Rachel Page, who is a staff scientist at STRI, and I’m still collaborating with both of them today—including ongoing work with Dina at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior (MPIAB). 

That companionship really matters. The nights are long, and the work is demanding, so having a good team—and having fun together—makes all the difference.

What story do you most want your photos to convey? 

With the book, we want to share a positive perspective on bats, how important they are, both for forests and for humans. Pollination and seed dispersal are key ecosystem services that bats provide, especially seed dispersal. 

We’re particularly interested in fruit-eating bats and their role in forest succession. Because they can defecate while flying, they may be among the first to bring seeds into new areas. Botanist and STRI research associate Daisy Dent (who is also my wife), has pointed out that birds often need a perch to do the same, which changes how we think about early forest regeneration. It’s an ongoing question, but a fascinating one.

What did the forests of BCI teach you about photographing bats and wildlife?

A lot. Working at night in a rainforest is challenging. You have to think about composition, exposure, foreground, and background, but also manage complex lighting setups. I sometimes used up to six flashes, each with its own settings. There’s a lot that can go wrong.

How do so many bat species exist in such a small place?

As a biologist, it makes perfect sense to me. Different species occupy different niches: food sources, roosting strategies, social behaviors. There’s also an evolutionary history behind it, like the connection to South America that brought many fruit-eating bats from the Amazon.

Story Behind the Photo

A group of white-throated round-eared bats (Lophostoma silvicolum) look down from their roost in an arboreal termite nest. A single male uses his teeth to hollow out a cavity in the bottom of the termite nest, fanning his tail membrane against the cavity wall between bites and likely spreading a chemical deterrent to keep termites at bay. Females then join to mate with him and raise their pups. Only active termite nests are used by the bats; the presence of the termites keeps the roost warm and protects the inhabitants from predators and parasites.

What surprised you the most during your work on Barro Colorado? 

It’s hard to point to one thing, the Bat Island book project has been ongoing for more than 20 years. We had a book in mind for a long time. The authors and I met through someone at STRI who was in charge of publishing and it worked! It’s been more of a long process of discovery than a single moment of surprise. But what Eli created is clear; she started alone on Barro Colorado and right now we have a staff scientist, Rachel Page, and many students, postdocs, and visiting professors that work with bats. I’m really happy about that.  

You worked with Bat Conservation International’s Director of Conservation Evidence (and co-author of “Bat Island”), Teague O’Mara on Barro Colorado. How did you first meet him? 

I met Teague at a party in Gamboa (in Panama). That’s how many good collaborations start, somewhere informal, with people sharing ideas. Teague and his wife lived nearby in Gamboa, right down the street. I was curious about bats and we were both dedicated to working with them. 

So, what’s it like to work with bat scientists?

It’s inspiring. They’re passionate, curious, and deeply committed to understanding these animals. And because the work often happens at night and in challenging conditions, there’s a strong sense of camaraderie. You need that, it keeps the work enjoyable and meaningful.

Come on back to the Bat Pub as we train our lens on more bat photography.  

Wendy K. Probst is the editor of The Bat Pub, and a freelance editor and writer who has devoted her career to working with stellar conservation organizations like Bat Conservation International. She is both driven and anchored by her desire to dream, create, preserve, educate, and empower others.