Earlier this week we celebrated International Bat Appreciation Day! Celebrated on April 17th each year, it is the perfect opportunity for me to talk about bats! Now as head of the bird section here at Wingham Wildlife Park, I know that this is a bit different from the usual subject of my blogs. But I think I’ve always had a fascination with creatures that can fly. So yes, birds are my passion, but I have a huge soft spot for bats too. They are often misunderstood creatures, but they are in fact an essential group of animals for maintaining a balanced environment. Helping to control insect populations, pollinating plants, and dispersing seeds are just some of the vital roles bats play in our ecosystems.
Last year, our head of section Matt wrote a blog about the Egyptian Fruit Bats that we have here at the park, you can learn more about them here: Bat Appreciation Day 2024. If you’d like to see some bats up close and personal a visit to see our bats is a great way to appreciate them fist hand. But in my blog this week I’d like to give you a bit of an insight into how you can experience bats in your local area.
April is a great time to try and see some bats! Here in the UK, you can spot bats at dusk and dawn during the warmer months, from around April to September. They are most active around woodlands, parks, rivers, and gardens—basically anywhere with trees or water where insects are plentiful. For the best chance, head out just after sunset and look up for the fast, fluttery movements of bats. If you’d like some help to spot some bats, you can also join a local bat walk. The Kent Bat Group often host events and have a free online course coming up for beginners to learn about bats. You can find out more about their events and what’s on here: Upcoming events – Kent Bat Group.
By far my favourite way to observe bats is by using a bat detector! Using a bat detector is a fun and fascinating way to explore the secret world of bats. They work by converting the high-frequency echolocation calls bats make—usually beyond the range of human hearing—into sounds we can hear. There are different types of detectors available, each with varying levels of complexity and price points. Beginners often start with a heterodyne detector, which allows users to “tune in” to specific frequencies where different species call. This is great if you just want to hear bats, and you can pick up a basic detector quite cheaply second hand nowadays.
To use a bat detector like this, switch the detector on and slowly scan through the frequency range (usually between 20 and 100 kHz). Different bat species echolocate at different frequencies, so listening carefully and noting the type of sound can help with identification. For example, common pipistrelles, the UK’s most widespread species, echolocate at around 45 kHz and produce a rapid “wet slap” or “smacking” sound. The soprano pipistrelle, very similar in appearance, calls at a slightly higher frequency, around 55 kHz. The noctule bat, one of the UK’s largest, produces a louder, slower “chip-chop” sound around 20–25 kHz.
Identifying species by sound takes practice, and using bat identification guides or apps can be very helpful. I invested in an Eco Meter Touch a few years ago and whilst this is a bit more expensive, these modern detectors plug into your phone and can even record calls and analyse them using software to suggest species IDs. I love that you can start to recognise the shapes of the sonograms using these types of detectors, with pipistrelle species having characteristic “hockey stick-shaped” call on the sonogram.
It’s important to remember that while detectors are a fantastic tool for observation and learning, all UK bats are protected by law, so their roosts and habitats must not be disturbed. Bats in the UK are facing serious challenges due to habitat loss, climate change, and human disturbance. As natural roosting sites like old trees, barns, and caves disappear, many bat species struggle to find safe places to live and breed. Light pollution and the decline of insect populations also make it harder for them to feed.
Out of the 17 breeding species of bats found in the UK, several are in decline and need protection. Conservation efforts, like protecting roosts and creating bat-friendly environments, are crucial to helping these important creatures survive and thrive. I think a great start is for us to learn more about bat as this makes us excited to see bats, which at first glance seem to have a bad rep, but on closer inspection aren’t as bad as they seem but on the contrary are quite enchanting.
