Bat surveys attribute to a large proportion of our work and it’s only right that we use the latest bat detectors and analysis software to aid our surveyors.
Bats sense their environment using echolocation – a series of high frequency calls, normally beyond the range of human hearing. Each species of bat echolocates in a slightly different way (see pictures below) because they occupy different habitats and may hunt different prey of different sizes. Specialist equipment (bat detectors) are used to make these echolocation calls audible to humans and allow us to distinguish different species. To learn more about how bats sense their environment and the different types of bat detectors please visit the Bat Conservation Trust.
Bat detectors have evolved massively over the past decade, going from a detector which would only output sound, to now recording sound files, displaying sonograms on the detector, GPS tracking transect routes and automatically identifying bat species. The microphones have also become more sensitive allowing harder to detect species such as brown long-eared bats (Plectous auritus) and barbastelles (Barbastella barbastellus) to be recorded on a more regular basis. The software used for analysing bat data (sonograms) has also changed drastically over the same time period, allowing for new ways of identifying bats and comparing datasets.
Using the latest equipment, reduces the amount of time it takes our surveyors to analysis data and create tables or maps, allowing more time to focus on our clients. Greenlight has various detectors available including:
- Anabat Walkabout
- Anabat Swift
- Echo Meter Touch
- Song Meter SM2
- Infrared cameras
Greenlight has experience in conducting various work with bats, including Preliminary Bat Roost Assessments (“PRA”), Bat Surveys, Mitigation Licences and Watching Briefs. Please click here for more information on bat surveys or the ecology services we offer. If you require a quote, need further explanation or have any questions, please contact us by clicking here.
