Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Current state of understanding of ultrasonic detectors for the study of bat ecology

  • Review Article
  • Published:
Acta Theriologica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Ultrasonic detectors have become a mainstay for studying the ecology of bats throughout the world. Despite their enormous utility to address a wide variety of research and management issues, many factors that impact the applicability of collected data for answering desired questions are often ignored. Here, we review our current understanding of the utility of ultrasonic detectors for the study of bat ecology and highlight areas where additional work should be done. We gleaned information from published studies, as well as from field research experience, and discuss areas that are in need of further research. We highlight topics such as sampling design and how it can impact results, metrics used to quantify bat activity, and identifying bats with acoustic data including how accuracy rates can be maximized. We also provide research questions that when answered will greatly improve the applicability of future studies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adams AM, Jantzen MK, Hamilton RM, Fenton MB (2012) Do you hear what I hear? Implications of detector selection for acoustic monitoring of bats. Methods Ecol Evol 3:992–998

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnett EB, Hayes JP, Huso MM (2006) An evaluation of the use of acoustic monitoring to predict bat fatality at a proposed wind facility in south-central Pennsylvania. Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative, Bat Conservation International, Austin

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnold BD, Wilkinson GS (2011) Individual specific contact calls of pallid bats (Antrozous pallidus) attract conspecifics at roosting sites. Behav Ecol Sociobio 65:1581–1593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barclay RMR, Fullard JH, Jacobs DS (1999) Variation in the echolocation calls of the hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus): influence of body size, habitat structure, and geographic variation. Can J Zool 77:530–534

    Google Scholar 

  • Britzke ER (2003) Use of ultrasonic detectors for acoustic identification and study of bat ecology in the eastern United States. Ph.D. dissertation, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN

  • Britzke ER, Murray KL (2000) A quantitative method for selection of identifiable search-phase calls using the Anabat system. Bat Res News 41:33–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Britzke ER, Murray KL, Heywood JS, Robbins LW (2002) Acoustic identification. In: Kurta A, Kennedy J (eds) The Indiana bat: biology and management of an endangered species. Bat Conservation International, Austin, pp 221–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Britzke ER, Slack B, Armstrong M, Loeb SC (2010) Effects of orientation and weatherproofing on the detection of bat echolocation calls. J Fish Wildl Manag 1:136–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Britzke ER, Duchamp JE, Murray KL, Swihart RK, Robbins LW (2011) Acoustic identification of bats in the Eastern United States: a comparison of parametric and nonparametric methods. J Wildl Manag 75:660–667

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broders HG (2003) Another quantitative measure of bat species activity and sampling intensity consideration for the design of ultrasonic monitoring studies. Acta Chiropter 5:235–242

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks RT (2011) Declines in summer bat activity in central New England 4 years following the initial detection of white-nose syndrome. Biodivers Conserv 20:2537–2541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnett SC, Kazial KA, Masters WM (2001) Discriminating individual big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) sonar vocalizations in different recording situations. Bioacoustics 11:189–210

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carter GG, Skowronski MD, Faure PA, Fenton MB (2008) Antiphonal calling allows individual discrimination in white-winged vampire bats. Anim Behav 76:1343–1355

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Corben C (2002) Zero-crossings analysis for bat identification: an overview. In: Brigham RM, Kalko EKV, Jones G, Parsons S, Limpens H (eds) Bat echolocation research. Bat Conservation International, Austin

    Google Scholar 

  • Corben C, Fellers GM (2001) Choosing the 'correct' bat detector—a reply. Acta Chiropt 3:253–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Dodd LE, Lacki MJ, Britzke ER, Buehler DA, Keyser PD, Larkin JL, Rodewald AD, Wigley TB, Wood PB, Rieske LK (2012) Forest structure affects trophic linkages: how silvicultural disturbance impacts bats and their insect prey. Forest Ecol Manag 267:262–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duffy AM, Lumsden LF, Caddle CR, Chick RR, Newell GR (2000) The efficacy of Anabat ultrasonic detectors and harp traps for surveying microchiropterans in south-eastern Australia. Acta Chiropt 2:127–144

    Google Scholar 

  • Dzal Y, McGuire LP, Veselka N, Fenton MB (2011) Going, going, gone: the impact of white-nose syndrome on the summer activity of the little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus). Biol Lett 7:392–394

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fenton MB (1980) Adaptiveness and ecology of echolocation in terrestrial (aerial) systems. In: Busnel RG, Fish JF (eds) Animal sonar systems. Plenum Press, New York, pp 427–446

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenton MB (2000) Choosing the 'correct' bat detector. Acta Chiropt 2:215–224

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenton MB, Bouchard S, Vonhof MJ, Zigouris J (2001) Time-expansion and zero-crossing period meter systems present significantly different views of echolocation calls of bats. J Mammal 82:721–727

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fenton MB, Jacobs DS, Richardson EJ, Taylor PJ, White E (2004) Individual signatures in the frequency-modulated sweep calls of African large-eared, free-tailed bats Otomops martiensseni (Chiroptera: Molossidae). J Zool 262:11–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer J, Stott J, Law BS, Adams MD, Forrester RI (2009) Designing effective habitat studies: quantifying multiple sources of variability in bat activity. Acta Chiropt 11:127–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ford WM, Britzke ER, Dobony CA, Rodrigue JL, Johnson JB (2011) Patterns of acoustical activity of bats prior to and following white-nose syndrome occurrence. J Fish Wildl Manag 2:125–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francl KE, Ford WM, Sparks DW, Brack V Jr (2012) Capture and reproductive trends of summer bat communities in West Virginia: assessing the impact of white nose syndrome. J Fish Wildl Manag 3:33–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillam EH, Chaverri G (2012) Strong individual signatures and weaker group signatures in contact calls of Spix's disc-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor. Anim Behav 83:269–276

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gillam EH, McCracken G (2007) Variability in the echolocation of Tadarida rasiliensis: effects of geography and local acoustic environment. Anim Behav 74:277–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffin DR (1971) The importance of atmospheric attenuation for the echolocation of bats (Chiroptera). Anim Behav 19:55–61

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes J (1997) Temporal variation in activity of bats and the design of echolocation-monitoring studies. J Mammal 78:514–524

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes J (2000) Assumptions and practical considerations in the design and interpretation of echolocation-monitoring studies. Acta Chiropter 2:225–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Kalcounis MC, Hobson KA, Brigham RM, Hecker KR (1999) Bat activity in the boreal forest: importance of stand type and vertical strata. J Mammal 80:673–682

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalko EKV, Schnitzler HU (1993) Plasticity in echolocation signals of European pipistrelle bats in search flight: implications for habitat use and prey detection. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 33:415–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kazial KA, Kenny T, Burnett SC (2008) Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) recognize individual identity of conspecifics using sonar calls. Ethol 114:469–478

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larson DJ, Hayes JP (2000) Variability in sensitivity of Anabat II bat detectors and a method of calibration. Acta Chiropt 2:209–213

    Google Scholar 

  • Law B, Anderson J, Chidel M (1998) A bat survey in state forests on the south-west slopes region of New South Wales with suggestions of improvements for future surveys. Aust Zool 30:467–479

    Google Scholar 

  • Limpens H (2002) Field identification: using bat detectors to identify species. In: Brigham RM, Kalko EKV, Jones G, Parsons S, Limpens (eds) Bat echolocation research: tools, techniques and analysis. Bat Conservation International, Austin, pp 46–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Maier C (1992) Activity patterns of pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) in Oxfordshire. J Zool 228(1):69–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masters WM, Raver KAS, Kazial KA (1995) Sonar signals of big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, contain information about individual identity, age and family affiliation. Anim Behav 50:1243–1260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Menzel JM, Menzel MA Jr, Kilgo JC, Ford WM, Edwards JW, McCracken GF (2005) Effect of habitat and foraging height on bat activity in the coastal plain of South Carolina. J Wildl Manag 69:235–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miller BW (2001) A method for determining relative activity of free-flying bats using a new activity index for acoustic monitoring. Acta Chiropt 3:93–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Milne D, Fisher A, Rainey I, Pavey C (2005) Temporal patterns of bats in the top end of the Northern Territory, Australia. J Mammal 86:909–920

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray KL, Britzke ER, Hadley BM, Robbins LW (1999) Surveying bat communities: a comparison between mist nets and the Anabat II bat detector system. Acta Chiropt 1:105–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Murray KL, Britzke ER, Robbins LW (2001) Variation in search-phase calls of bats. J Mammal 82:728–737

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell MJ, Miller BW, Gannon WL (1999) Qualitative identification of free-flying bats using the Anabat detector. J Mammal 80:11–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O’Farrell MJ, Corben C, Gannon WL (2000) Geographic variation in the echolocation calls of the haory bat (Lasiurus borealis). Acta Chiropt 2:185–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Obrist MK (1995) Flexible bat echolocation: the influence of individual, habitat and conspecifics on sonar signal design. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 36:207–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O'Farrell MJ (1998) A passive monitoring system for Anabat II using a laptop computer. Bat Res News 39:147–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons S, Jones G (2000) Acoustic identification of twelve species of echolocating bats by discriminant function analysis and artificial neural networks. J Exp Biol 203:2641–2656

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons S, Szewczak JM (2009) Detecting, recording, and analyzing the vocalizations of bats. In: Kunz TH, Parsons S (eds) Ecological and behavioral methods for the study of bats, 2nd edn. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, pp 91–111

    Google Scholar 

  • Parsons S, Boonman AM, Obrist MK (2000) Advantages and disadvantages of techniques for transforming and analyzing chiropteran echolocation calls. J Mammal 81:927–938

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodhouse TJ, Vierling KT, Irvine KM (2011) A practical sampling design for acoustic surveys of bats. J Wildl Manag 75:1094–1102

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russo D, Jones G (2002) Identification of twenty-two bat species (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Italy by analysis of time-expanded recordings of echolocation calls. J Zool 258:91–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rydell J, Miller LA, Jensen ME (2002) Echolocation constraints of Daubenton's Bat foraging over water. Funct Eco 13:247–255

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnitzler H-U, Moss CF, Denzinger A (2003) From spatial orientation to food acquisition in echolocating bats. Trends Ecol Evol 18:386–394

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siemers BM, Kerth G (2006) Do echolocation calls of wild colony-living Bechstein's bats (Myotis bechsteinii) provide individual-specific signatures? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 59:443–454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skalak SL, Sherwin RE, Brigham RM (2012) Sampling period, size and duration influence measures of bat species richness from acoustic surveys. Methods Ecol Evol 3:490–502

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turner GG, Reeder DM, Coleman JTH (2011) A five-year assessment of mortality and geographic spread of white-nose syndrome in North American bats and a look to the future. Bat Res News 52:13–27

    Google Scholar 

  • Weller TJ, Zabel CJ (2002) Variation in bat detections due to detector orientation in a forest. Wildl Soc Bull 30:922–930

    Google Scholar 

  • Yates MD, Muzika RM (2006) Effect of forest structure and fragmentation on site occupancy of bat species in Missouri Ozark forests. J Wildl Manag 70:1238–1248

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS, USA

    E. R. Britzke

  2. Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA

    E. H. Gillam

  3. Western EcoSystems Technology, Inc., Bloomington, IN, USA

    K. L. Murray

Authors
  1. E. R. Britzke
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. E. H. Gillam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. L. Murray
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. R. Britzke.

Additional information

Communicated by: Justin G. Boyles

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Britzke, E.R., Gillam, E.H. & Murray, K.L. Current state of understanding of ultrasonic detectors for the study of bat ecology. Acta Theriol 58, 109–117 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-013-0131-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-013-0131-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation