Bailiwick Bat Survey: Thirteen different species of bats confirmed in 2022

The States said bats were a "poorly understood" part of Guernsey's wildlife

Thirteen different bat species have been confirmed across the Bailiwick in a survey.

They were identified from more than 3.3 million acoustic recordings sent in for analysis in 2022 as part of the Bailiwick Bat Survey.

More than 150 volunteers monitored 622 locations across the Bailiwick for the 2022 survey.

Organisers said the project aimed to provide information on the distribution of the mammal on the islands.

The survey, run over a total of four years in partnership with the British Trust for Ornithology, is billed as the most extensive bat survey carried out by citizen scientists in the Bailiwick.

More than 150 volunteers monitored 622 locations across the Bailiwick

The States said bats were "an important but poorly understood" part of the wildlife.

Phil Atkinson, from British Trust for Ornithology, said volunteers were needed for the 2023 survey, which runs from April to October.

"This year we are repeating the survey and are also surveying some of the rarer habitat types such as woodland and wetlands," he said.

"We would be delighted to hear from any volunteers who would be willing to be a roving recorder who would be willing to try and survey some of the more out of the way places."

In 2021, the first year of the survey, five new species of bat were discovered.

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