Abstract
This study documents new records of the Northern Ghost Bat (Diclidurus albus) and the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia), two species with few documented occurrences in El Salvador. The objective was to provide information on their presence and the habitats associated with their sightings in the eastern region of the country. The research was conducted through field observations, biodiversity monitoring, and photographic records collected between December 2023 and December 2024. One specimen of D. albus was documented in a transition zone between mangrove forest and semi-deciduous dry forest in the department of La Unión, where its morphological characteristics and roosting sites were observed. Additionally, two specimens of A. cunicularia were recorded: one originating from San Miguel, which received veterinary care and was subsequently released, and another observed in an area of open woodland and shrub vegetation in El Tamarindo canton, La Unión. These findings provide relevant information on the distribution of both species and their association with specific habitats. It is concluded that these records contribute to the knowledge of poorly documented wildlife species in El Salvador and highlight the importance of strengthening research on species distribution and habitat conservation.
References
Alfaro Rojas, D. G., Alpízar Trejos, K. A., Guido Méndez, J. R., & Vargas Masís, R. J. (2022). Unusual record of the burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia) in Costa Rica after 120 years. Huitzil Revista Mexicana de Ornitología, 23(2). https://doi.org/10.28947/hrmo.2022.23.2.586
Dayaram, L. (2014). Diclidurus albus (Northern ghost bat). The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago, 4. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332158661_Diclidurus_albus_-_Northern_Ghost_Bat
Elías Díaz, D. (2021). Evaluación del rol de dispersión de semillas grandes por murciélagos tienderos (Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae) en el Área Natural Protegida Santa Rita durante el periodo de julio a febrero de 2020 [Tesis, Universidad de El Salvador]. https://repositorio.ues.edu.sv/items/b3ff702d-4b83-45e1-b534-d484309d9f3b
Fajardo Solís, M. (2010). Composición y diversidad de quirópteros del Parque Nacional San Diego y San Felipe Las Barras, Metapán, durante la estación seca a la estación lluviosa en el año 2010 [Tesis, Universidad de El Salvador]. https://repositorio.ues.edu.sv/items/fb60759c-65a5-41bc-b11c-88b90a0d0faf
Girón Galván, L. E. (2005). Identificación y distribución de los murciélagos del sector Los Andes del volcán de Santa Ana, Complejo Los Volcanes, Santa Ana, El Salvador [Tesis, Universidad de El Salvador]. https://repositorio.ues.edu.sv/items/9fa1222c-4606-4049-8faa-7c093e95ea99
Hallebuyck, V., Tamsitt, J., & Hartman, J. (1985). Records of bats new to El Salvador. Journal of Mammalogy, 66(4), 783–788.
Hellebuyck, V., Tamsitt, J. R., & Hartman, J. G. (1985). Records of bats new to El Salvador. Journal of Mammalogy, 66, 783–788.
Hernández de Larios, S., Rodríguez, M., Ibarra, R., Pablo-Cea, J., Salinas, M., Barraza, E., . . . Zeledón, G. (2018). Listado de fauna registrada para El Salvador. Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales.
Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. (2018). Listado de fauna silvestre registrada para El Salvador. http://marn.gob.sv/
Medina Fitoria, A. (2014). Murciélagos de Nicaragua: Guía de campo (1.ª ed.). http://www.bio-nica.info/biblioteca/Medina2014Murcielagos.pdf
Medina-fitoria, A. (2014). Murciélagos de Nicaragua: Guía de campo. Programa para la Conservación de los Murciélagos de Nicaragua y Ministerio del Ambiente y los Recursos Naturales.
Morales Rivas, A. E. (2016). Dieta, actividad y reproducción de los murciélagos Anoura geoffroyi y Sturnira hondurensis en el bosque nublado del Parque Nacional Montecristo, El Salvador [Tesis, Universidad de El Salvador]. https://repositorio.ues.edu.sv/items/bf3b540c-c8bb-4aa0-9717-613cc7846b8e
Romero Fuentes, M. O. (2011). Estructura poblacional del «murciélago de cola corta» (Carollia subrufa) presente en la formación rocosa, conocida como Cueva del Murciélago en el área protegida Walter Thilo Deininger, departamento de La Libertad, El Salvador [Tesis, Universidad de El Salvador]. https://repositorio.ues.edu.sv/items/48bfc5a1-71f7-4971-b1dd-1f5bbf76e6ac
Wilson, D. E., & Reeder, D. M. (2005). Orden Chiroptera. En N. B. Simons, Mammal species of world: A taxonomic and geographic reference (vol. 1, pp. 312–529). John Hopkins University Press.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Authors who publish in Revista Minerva agree to the following terms: Authors continue as owners of their work, assigning only dissemination rights to Minerva Magazine under the standards of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows others to mix, adapt and build upon the work for any purpose, including commercially, and although new works must also acknowledge the initial author, they do not have to license derivative works under the same terms.