An Ashland bat has brought Oregon its third victory and the Rogue Valley its second back-to-back victory in the Bureau of Land Management’s annual Bat Beauty Contest.

“Hoary Potter and the Guano of Fire,” a male hoary bat photographed by BLM wildlife technician Emma Busk near Ashland, was named the 2024 winner in a Thursday BLM social media post. 

“With its stunning midnight fur and enchanting, twinkling eyes, The Bat Who Lived captivated our audience and took flight into our hearts,” the BLM Facebook post said. “Congratulations to this beautiful bat who truly embodies the magic of the wizarding world.”

Her Ashland photo drew national attention, with Busk quoted in the Washington Post: “I took the photo of Hoary Potter, but all bats are the real winners.”

Busk’s photo of Hoary Potter won out against finalist Lestat, a western small-footed bat from Idaho taken by photographer Bruce Hallman.

The 2024 victory marks the second in a row for Busk and the Rogue Valley. Last year, she photographed William ShakespEAR, a female Townsend’s big-eared bat from Butte Falls.

It’s also the third victory in a row for a bat from Oregon. In 2022, the crowned critter was Barbara, a canyon bat photographed in Lake County by BLM wildlife biologist Kate Yates.

The bat beauty contest coincides with International Bat Week, which raises awareness about bat conservation and the roles bats play in the natural ecosystem. According to the BLM, all bats in the Pacific Northwest are insectivores that feed on pests such as mosquitoes, beetles and moths.

The BLM states that one bat can eat as many as 1,200 mosquitoes in an hour.