The movements of bats cannot be seen or heard. However, their movements can be understood using ultrasound. Ultrasound is sound that humans cannot hear. A bat detector is a microphone that records these sounds.
Lauri Lutsar is a bat researcher. He says: "I already have 29,000 recordings. The Sõrve Peninsula is a good place because many bats fly here, especially in autumn."
The computer makes bat sounds audible to the human ear. Each bat species has its own distinctive voice. Additionally, the sounds can be processed to better understand them.
Recently, it was discovered that bats also fly over the sea. One detector in the Sõrve forest has counted bats more than ten kilometers away from the sea. Hillar Lipp says: "The data shows that they really do fly over the sea."
The goal of the research is to find out if bats could live peacefully alongside a sea wind farm. Lauri Lutsar says: "Bat research is still in its early stages. Much more is known about birds."
In Estonia, 14 different species of bats have been found.