Identify Common & Soprano Pipistrelle Bat Calls
Pipistrelle calls are very variable. In cluttered habitats such as woodland, the calls become shorter and less slappy with a more rapid repetition rate. In very open environments such as lakes, they become longer with very little FM component and a slow repetition rate. When several pipistrelles are feeding in the same area, they tend to adjust the peak frequency of their calls so that each bat’s peak frequency is slightly different. Some caution is therefore required in identifying species, and certain identification is not always possible. It is not uncommon to hear pipstrelles which are loudest at 50 kHz, and could be either Common or Soprano Pipistrelles.