Region-based guide to the echolocation calls of Microchiropteran bats

Pennay, M., Law, B., Reinhold, L. (2004). Bat calls of New South Wales: Region based guide to the echolocation calls of Microchiropteran bats. NSW Department of Environment and Conservation, Hurstville.

This document is a region-based identification guide to the search phase calls of insectivorous bats from NSW, using the Anabat system. This is based on a library of more than 1200 reference calls, collected from 31 species throughout NSW over last four years by the authors and individual contributors.

Eastern Falsistrelle Falsistrellus tasmaniensis. Photo by B. Law

Eastern Falsistrelle Falsistrellus tasmaniensis. Photo by B. Law

Development of the guide was a collaborative effort between the NPWS (part of the Department of Environment and Conservation) and State Forests of NSW.

For each species found in NSW there is a description of the known call characteristics, including:

  • call shape
  • characteristic frequency
  • regional notes
  • similar species that may be confused on call
  • ways to distinguish between similar species
  • instances where species cannot be separated on call.

The guide provides high quality information to help ecologists to identify species. It will also help people who hire bat consultants, allowing them to understand and monitor results provided to them without requiring an extensive knowledge of how Anabat works.

Topics include:

  • the collection of reference calls
  • selection of good calls for analysis
  • identifying call characteristics and features
  • ways bats vary their calls that could lead to errors in identification.

Documents to download

Bat calls of New South Wales: Region based guide to the echolocation calls of Microchiropteran bats.  959kb

Download Anabat files for each of the species: the following reference calls are Anabat system call files. Note that you do not need the Anabat files to use the call guide. If you have a fast internet connection, you may wish to download all the Anabat files in a single 3.2MB document:

Anabat system call files for all species referred to in 'Bat calls of NSW'  3.2MB

If you have a standard (dial-up) internet connection, you can download reference calls for bats in particular regions of NSW:

The files have been compressed using Winzip, and you will need Winzip installed on your computer to open them (Windows XP supports ZIP files by default). To view them, you will need a recent version of Analook software. You can download Analook from either of the following websites:

Chris Corben's website
The BatCall Acoustic Library

Contribute to the guide

This guide will be updated as new data becomes available. Feedback from bat researchers who have collected reference calls that contradict or add to species descriptions is invited. For more information contact Brad Law (NSW DPI) or Michael Pennay (DECC).