NBMP Sunset-Sunrise Survey

Bat Conservation Trust

Description

This dataset contains records from the Sunset/Sunrise Survey run by the Bat Conservation Trust as part of the National Bat Monitoring Programme. Volunteer surveyors spend the hour after sunset and/or the hour before sunrise in their garden or local open space looking for bats and other nocturnal animals. A visual guide is provided to help surveyors identify several of the more common bat species. Not all records are verified but volunteers are asked to indicate what method they used to identify the species from a dropdown list of bat species ID methods, and this will give some indication of the likely accuracy of the identification.

For more information please visit https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-monitoring-programme/surveys/sunset-sunrise-survey

Geographic Description

UK

Purpose

The Sunset/Sunrise Survey is an engagement survey designed to enable new volunteers to take part in a simple bat survey. It also provides valuable records of other nocturnal wildlife. More experienced volunteers also take part as it is an effective technique for locating bat roosts.

Data quality

This dataset includes both verified and unverified records. Verified records have been checked by expert volunteer verifiers on behalf of Bat Conservation Trust and/or The Mammal Society. Records have been contributed by a range of recorders, some more experienced than others. Users of this data should ensure that they take this into account.

Methods

Volunteer surveyors spend the hour after sunset and/or the hour before sunrise in their garden or local open space looking for bats and other nocturnal animals. A visual guide is provided to help surveyors identify several of the more common bat species. Bats are indentified in flight visually, with the optional aid of an ultrasonic bat detector.

Citation

National Bat Monitoring Programme [date accessed] Sunset/Sunrise Survey, Bat Conservation Trust.

Rights

OGL

Open Government Licence

Digitised records