British Bat Survey (BBatS)

BBatS was established in 2024 to improve our understanding of regional bat population trends across Great Britain. Since its launch, we have aimed to survey 30–40 sites annually across Wales to establish a robust baseline for long-term monitoring.

Survey sites consist of randomly generated 1 km squares, stratified by habitat type. Each square contains a suggested monitoring point within the target habitat. Participants are asked to deploy an AudioMoth as close as possible to this point and within the specified habitat, recording for two separate five-night periods during July. To ensure the scientific integrity of the survey, only sites selected through the BBatS map can be surveyed.

Unfortunately, we have not yet reached our target number of sites in Wales. The remoteness of many locations and the relatively low population density in some areas present understandable challenges. While BBatS is well suited to those who prefer not to undertake evening fieldwork, participation does involve four site visits (to deploy and retrieve the AudioMoth twice), obtaining landowner permission, and following survey guidance. I am very happy to support volunteers with these aspects, and in some cases participants may wish to share responsibility for a site to make involvement more manageable.

One habitat type where we are particularly keen to improve coverage is “Mountain, heath and bog”. There can sometimes be an assumption that bats are scarce at higher elevations; however, BBatS data collected in 2025 from a site in North Wales recorded five bat species at approximately 700 metres above sea level. This highlights the importance of surveying upland habitats and improving our understanding of bat activity in these areas.

If you are interested in helping, either individually or as part of a group, please take a look at the available survey sites and consider whether you could take one on: