Bats guide
WildID Bats is an identification guide to all 16 species that live and breed in Britain. It has two parts: a night-time guide for identifying flying bats, using calls and flight patterns, plus a daytime guide for key for bats at rest.
Bats are fascinating; the only mammals that can fly. Although there are more than a thousand species worlwide, Britain is home to 16 species. All of the British species of eat insects, including beetles, moths, flies and midges. They navigate and locate insects by echolocation, making high frequency ultrasonic calls and listening for the pattern of returning echoes.
It is an offence to disturb a wild bat unless you have a licence. So beginners should start by trying to identify bats in flight. Fortunately you can gather initial clues without using any special equipment, and this guide will show you what to look for. Useful information includes size, flight pattern, habitat and emergence time after dusk.
A bat detector will help you proceed with correct identification to species. This guide covers bat identification using both heterodyne and time expansion detectors. Heterodyne detectors, which are generally cheaper, transform the ultrasonic calls to sounds that humans can hear. The guide describes each species’ call. By contrast, time expansion detectors record the ultrasonic calls. The guide gives the frequency range, duration range and sonogram of each species.
The Bats Guide was created with the Mammal Society.
Our popular field guides measure 24.5 cm x 17.5 cm and are extremely lightweight so are the perfect identification aid for popping in your bag when heading outside. All WildID guides are laminated, meaning they are also showerproof and wipe-clean for use outside.