Bat Surveys

A hibernating Daubenton's Bat (Myotis daubentonii)

There are 17 bat species in Britain and all are legally protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 and the Habitat Regulations 1994. Collectively these pieces of legislation mean that it is illegal to deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat or intentionally disturb an individual bat or group of bats or destroy a roost.

The Wildlife Survey Unit offers a variety of bat surveys, these are summarised below with details describing the appropriate circumstances for each:

  • Inspection Survey: This is a survey checking for presence of bats or evidence of the use by bats of structures such as buildings, bridges or trees. This is a survey to be undertaken if a proposed development is likely to affect that particular structure

    • A Leisler's Bat roosting on a cruise ship in the Bay of Biscay after a night's migration
  • Emergence Survey: This is a survey at dusk or dawn of a structure identified as having the potential to support a bat roost. Each surveyor has a bat detector and records the emergence or re-entry of any bats recording, which species are present, their numbers and the access/exit points

  • Activity Survey: This is a survey identifying important foraging areas and commuting routes within a site. This defines the species present in an area and identifies the most important habitat

  • 'At height' Survey: This is a survey specifically designed to record bat activity 'at height', this is especially useful in determining potential collision risks for bats with wind turbines

All standard survey methodologies follow those found in the Bat Conservation Trust's Bat Survey: Good Practice Guidelines and the JNCC's Bat Workers Manual.