Do bats always echolocate?

[neldadog]

Hello there,

Do British bats always echolocate when foraging, commuting etc? I have seen instances when watching pipistrelles and other species where my bat detector (duet) will pick up the echolocation, generally most of the time, however then sometimes not.

I am almost 100% sure the bat detectors work fine (I have access to over 10 of them).

I know bats will not echolocate when they glide and sometimes when in familiar territory i.e. near a roost.

Are there any other instances?

Are there any other environmental triggers which may affect how well a detector will pick up echolocation?

How reliable is it to identify brown long eared bats just because you couldn't hear a bat on your detector?

Any thoughts from seasoned bat workers/amateurs/professionals etc?

[thunder]

No, bats don't always echolocate - they switch off from time to time. Don't ask me to define conditions - perhaps they sometimes feel daring - or just can't be bothered! Also, perhaps they have their heads turned away, and the sound is going in the wrong direction.

I think it would be very unreliable indeed to say "Brown Long-eared" just because you heard nothing on the detector ( and how would you be sure it wasn't a Grey Long-eared? )

henrya

[thunder]

And of course, they are polite little creatures, and don't talk with their mouths full!

henrya

[neldadog]

Cheers for your reply.

I am pretty sure they are not grey long eared because I live in the Midlands, unfortunatly not the best area to see all British bat species!