Need some clues on how to record bats using your existing recording equipment? You might find some ideas in this article I wrote on micro-bats which was published in Audiowings, the journal of the Australian Wildlife Sound Recording Group, in June 2010. There are also some sound samples at the end of the article. (You can also download a pdf copy of the article here.)
ARTICLE
AUDIO
This first call will test your hearing! It is between 10 and 20 kHz so if your hearing is OK you should be able to hear the pink-pink-pink calls of this White-striped Freetail Bat, and the feeding buzz as it captures its prey. Played at normal speed.
Here is the same call slowed down to one-quarter speed.
Here is a feeding buzz from a Southern Freetail Bat, played at one-eighth speed.
The Large-eared Pied Bat has an alternating call, played here at one-eighth speed.
The Little Forest Bat has a very high pitched call, listen to it in stereo as it passes overhead, one-eighth speed.
GEAR
If you want to know if there are any bats about, or ultrasonic insects, this handy little gadget may help. It lowers the pitch to within human hearing range. From the UK.
