Europe’s largest bat has been discovered to have the remarkable ability to capture and consume birds while in flight, a behavior that was recently confirmed by researchers. Ecologists have now found further evidence of this behavior dating back over 400 years in a painting by the 17th-century Flemish artist Jan Brueghel the Elder.
The study, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, has been praised by Mirjam Knörnschild from Humboldt University in Berlin as a “very clever piece of natural history detective work” that connects modern research with historical art.
In the painting titled “Air,” which features over 60 bird species and three bat species, ecologist Miguel Clavero and his team identified what they believe to be a large noctule bat with a bird in its jaws. This observation led to a collaboration with bat experts to confirm the bat’s predatory behavior.
The research on the greater noctule bats’ bird-catching ability began in 2001 when bird feathers were found in bat feces, indicating a diet beyond insects. The confirmation of this behavior last year involved equipping bats with tracking devices to monitor their movements.
Clavero suggests that Brueghel likely acquired knowledge of the bats’ behavior from real-life observations, even though the painter may not have witnessed the hunting firsthand. However, not all experts agree, with some suggesting that the inclusion of the bat in the painting may have been inspired by curiosity and artistic expression rather than direct observation.
Regardless, the discovery in the painting has sparked interest in the potential for uncovering more hidden wildlife insights in historical artwork. Danilo Russo, an ecologist at the University of Naples Federico II, sees this as an opportunity to rethink historical biodiversity and explore the untapped potential of historical sources for natural history discoveries.