Survey shows 13 different bat species in Bailiwick of Guernsey

A study has found 13 different species of bat in Guernsey, Alderney, Sark and Herm.

The aim of the Bailiwick Bat Survey is to learn more about an animal that is important to the islands' wildlife as it is the only flying mammal found in the area.

The research has just reached its midway point, with over 150 volunteers spending a total of 2,416 nights in 2022 helping out.

The animal is monitored using automated acoustic recorders which identify the species of bat by the frequency of its call.

Bats make up more than half of all land-based mammals found in the Bailiwick.

It is hoped that the survey will give the government and policy makers more information when it comes to protecting the islands' biodiversity.

It began in 2021 and will continue for two more years.

This year's study will run from April until October - more information on how to get involved will be released in March.

A spokesperson from the British Trust for Ornithology, Phil Atkinson, says the research in 2023 will analyse some of the rarer habitat types found on the island, such as woodland and wetlands.

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