INTRODUCTION TO BAT IDENTIFICATION

South Yorkshire bats

UK = 17 speciesSouth Yorkshire = 9-10 speciesSmall common bats of edge habitats

common and soprano pipistrelles

Big bats of open habitats noctule + Leisler’s bats

Woodland bats brown long-eared bats, Natterer’s bats, whiskered bat, Brandt’s bat

Water bats Daubenton’s bat

Daubenton’s bat

Brown long-eared bat

Common pipistrelle

Noctule

Basics of Bat Call ID

Often difficult to identify bats to species level using a bat detector

Best to record calls and identify them through examination of the sonogram and measurement of call parameters

Sonogram: Time on x axis frequency on y axis

Taken from Russ (2012)

For HSM project will use call parameters provided in ‘British bat calls: a guide to species identification’ during manual call ID

Basics of Bat Call ID

Basics of Bat Call ID

Basics of Bat Call ID

Small common bats of edge habitats: common pipistrelle

Common pipistrelle Common in urban areas Generalist species Lives in new and old houses Common pipistrelles appear fast and

jerky in flight and change direction frequently as they dodge pursuing small insects which are caught and eaten in flight

when a bat detector is tuned in to the peak frequency (deepest pitch) the calls sound "wet" and "slappy"

‘Reversed hockey stick’ call with a peak frequency between 41-49kHz

Soprano pipistrelle Associated with water Lives in buidings and trees Soprano pipistrelles appear fast and

jerky in flight and change direction frequently as persue small insects which are caught and eaten in flight

when a bat detector is tuned in to the peak frequency (deepest pitch) the calls sound "wet" and "slappy"

‘Reversed hockey stick’ call with a peak frequency between 50-64.1kHz

Small common bats of edge habitats: soprano pipistrelle

Big bats of open habitats: noctule

Noctule Largest British bat, emerges early Can fly up to 50 km/h Primarily tree rooster Characteristic powerful, direct flight on narrow

pointed wings In open habitats produces a two part "chip-

chop" call: the "chip" has a peak frequency of around 24 kHz, the "chop" has a peak frequency of around 19 kHz

Leisler’s bat

Leisler’s bat Very scattered distribution Roosts in buildings and trees Similar to noctule With long narrow wings, in flight

Leisler's bats look similar to noctules, but are slightly smaller

Like noctules usually fly high and fast in the open, with shallow dives (noctules tend to make steeper dives)

in fairly open habitats produces a two part "chip-chop" call: the chip has a peak frequency of around 27 kHz, the chop has a peak frequency of around 23 kHz

Big bats of open habitats: Leisler’s bat

Woodland bats: brown long-eared bats

Brown long-eared bat Known as the ‘whispering bat’ Roosts in trees and old buildings Hunts partially through passive

hearing Lucky to hear on a bat detector

despite being a common bat, need to be within about 5 m

Frequency modulated calls usually consisting of two harmonics. Peak frequency around 33 kHZ

Calls sound like a light purring

Natterer’s bat Roosts in trees and old buildings Feeds largely by gleaning Emerges late Normally fly at heights of less than 5

metres, but occasionally may reach 15 metres in the tree canopy

With all Myotis bats if you tune down to 35 kHz, below common pipistrelle peak frequecy get dry clicks

Quiet and quick, extremely broadband call on average 22.8-106.8 kHz, though can range from 15.1 - 145.3 kHz

Woodland bats: Natterer’s bat

Whiskered and Brandt’s bat Very similar species Feed on rides and woodland edge Brandt’s more associated with wet

habitats Whiskered bats have fast and fluttering

flight, to a height of 6 metres, generally level with occasional swoops.

Frequently fly along a regular "beat" over or alongside a hedgerow or woodland edge (whereas Brandt's bats more often fly within woodland)

Produces typically frequency modulated pulses starting at around 85 kHz and ending around 32kHz, irregular pulses compared to Daubenton’s bat

Woodland bats: whiskered and Brandt’s bat

Water bats

Daubenton’s bat Hunts low over water and employs

trawling to catch insects Roosts in trees and bridges Forms large summer roosts Can be easily seen on River Don Heard as a series of rapid clicks on

detector Pulses fast and regular Produces frequency modulated

sweeps starting around 85 kHz and ending at about 25kHz often with slight kinks or bend at 40kHz

Often ‘missing frequencies’ in calls emitted over water

Bats we may find in South Yorkshire

Nathusius’ pipistrelle Associated with water Migratory and bigger than

common/soprano Peak frequency between 35.5-41.9

Alcathoe bat Similar to whiskered/Brandts Associated with woodland and water End frequency rarely drops below

40kHZ Lesser horseshoe bat

Maybe not for several decades Instantly recognisable from echolocation call

Any questions?