Bat Survey Techniques

May 6 - 7, 2026

Program Outline

The Bat Survey Techniques Workshop is a 2-day introductory workshop based at the Ken Reid Conservation Area in Lindsay Ontario. The course covers the methods commonly used to survey bats and their habitats in Ontario, with references to techniques employed in other jurisdictions. This course combines in-class learning and hands-on field experiences.

The curriculum begins with training on the habitat requirements of the eight bat species found in Ontario. Participants will learn to consistently characterize general habitat types, often using the Ecological Land Classification (ELC) system. This includes assessing both natural and anthropogenic habitats. Understanding bat habitat is crucial for designing effective acoustic survey programs, which are the focus of most bat monitoring projects.

The course will then present standard techniques for planning and executing an acoustic monitoring program. Topics include selecting appropriate survey equipment, determining optimal installation locations in the field, and managing the resulting raw data. While the course will briefly introduce data analysis methods, the in-depth interpretation of acoustic bat data is beyond the scope of this program.

Additionally, the curriculum will touch on advanced survey techniques that may be employed in specialized research or project settings. The benefits and limitations of these more complex approaches will be discussed.

The field component of the course will provide hands-on experience in evaluating bat habitats and setting up passive acoustic monitors for a one-night survey.

This is not a certification course but rather an informative introduction to valuable field techniques and their underlying assumptions and constraints. Participants will gain the knowledge needed to design their own bat survey programs and interpret the results. Further training and experience will be required for in-depth acoustic data analysis and the use of advanced survey techniques.

Bat Surveys

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Bat Surveys Registration Form

First name

Last name

Phone

Address

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Customer Billing Address

Emergency Contact Name & Number

Please list any medical concerns

How did you hear about Ecopa?

Please tell us a little about yourself, including your level of experience with field sampling and/or aquatic invertebrate identification. What are you most excited/anxious about with respect to this course? This information will help the instructor meet

Meals

Participants are responsible for bringing their own lunch/snacks. We will take snack and lunch breaks each day, but you will not have time to travel off-site to purchase food items. Please plan accordingly.

Course Preparation

Location

Our June workshop is being held at the Ken Reid Conservation Area, 277 Kenrei Rd, Lindsay, ON K9V 4R2. If you’re using an older GPS, some have the road listed as Ken Reid Rd. We will be using the Field House facilities for training and testing purposes.

Our field session will take place in the local area and will require participants to meet at the Field House prior to departure.

Transportation

Participants will be responsible for transportation to field sites. We will organize carpooling on the first day of the course to minimize our carbon footprint.

Parking

Participants will need to purchase a daily parking pass for the Ken Reid Conservation Area.

Clothing

Participants should wear comfortable clothing suitable for indoor activities in the Field House for each day of the course. Our fieldwork will take place briefly at the end of the day on Day 1 and for most of the day on Day 2 of the course. Weather conditions may range from cool to very warm at this time of year. Please come prepared for all eventualities, as fieldwork may need to be conducted in inclement weather (*the exception being an electrical storm).

Gear

Participants will be required to bring their supplies for both indoor and outdoor activities.

Recommended Gear:

Backpack
Cell phone
Calculator
Notebook
Binder or file folder for additional handouts on the course
Pens/pencils/highlighter
Clipboard
Laptop computer (for classroom work)
Mosquito/tick repellant
Sunscreen
Water bottle
Headlamp
GPS (optional)
Diameter-at-breast height tape measure (optional)
Clinometer (optional)
Laser measuring tape (optional)
Acoustic bat detection equipment (optional)

Course Materials

PDFs of the course training material and manuals will be available to participants prior to the commencement of the course. Additional materials will be provided during the course in both digital and paper formats.

We recommend that participants download all materials and bring them to the course on a laptop or notebook. You will receive a welcome message from the course instructor prior to the course with specific directions regarding course preparation.

Useful Resources

Participants will be characterizing bat habitat for the eight bat species known in Ontario. Some preliminary baseline research on these species may be beneficial. There are no required texts or field guides, but the following resources may be of interest:

Morningstar, D. 2018. A Framework for Assessment and Monitoring of Bat Habitat. Prepared for the Canadian Wildlife Service. 34 pp. (will be provided in PDF in advance of the course)

USFWS. 2025. Rangewide Indiana Bat and Northern Long-eared Bat Survey Guidelines. https://www.fws.gov/library/collections/range-wide-indiana-bat-and-northern-long-eared-bat-survey-guidelines

British Columbia. 2022. Inventory Methods for Bats. Standards for Components of British Columbia’s Biodiversity No. 20. https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/environment/natural-resource-stewardship/nr-laws-policy/risc/bats.pdf

NaBat. 2025. North American Bat Monitoring Program. https://www.nabatmonitoring.org/collect-data

CWHC. 2024. A Qualitative Approach for Assessing the Maternity Roost Habitats of Myotis Species and Tri-colored Bats for Wildlife Management Purposes. 38 pp. https://cwhc-rcsf.ca/docs/bat_health/A%20qualitative%20approach%20for%20assessing%20the%20maternity%20roost%20habitats%20of%20Myotis%20species%20and%20tri-colored%20bats%20for%20wildlife%20management%20purposes.pdf

Fraser et al., eds. 2020. Bat Echolocation Research: A handbook for planning and conducting acoustic studies. Second Edition. Bat Conservation International. Austin, Texas, USA. https://batwatch.ca/sites/default/files/Fraser_et_al_2020_Bat_Echolocation_Handbook.pdf

Environment Canada. 2015. Recovery Strategy for Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus), Northern Myotis (Myotis septentrionalis), and Tri-colored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus) in Canada [Proposed]. Species at Risk Act Recovery Strategy Series. Environment Canada, Ottawa. ix + 110 pp. https://www.registrelep-sararegistry.gc.ca/virtual_sara/files/plans/rs_LittleBrownMyotisNorthernMyotisTricoloredBat_e_proposed.pdf

Humphrey, C. 2017. Recovery Strategy for the Eastern Small-footed Myotis (Myotis leibii) in Ontario. Ontario Recovery Strategy Series. Prepared for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, Peterborough, Ontario. vii + 76 pp. https://files.ontario.ca/mnrf_sar_rs_esfm_final_accessible.pdf

Morningstar, D., P.K. Catling, S.J. Kell, K.D. Vincent, N. Ekomiak, S. Mainguy and L.P. McGuire. 2025. DRAFT Recovery Strategy for the Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus), Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) and Silver-haired Bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) in Ontario. Ontario Recovery Strategy Series. Prepared for the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks, Peterborough, Ontario. vii + 89 pp. (Under review and not currently available – may be available at the time of the course).

Parks Canada Agency. 2023. Welfare and Handling Recommendations for Bat Censuses in Canada. 81 pp. https://www.cwhc-rcsf.ca/docs/bat_health/Welfare%20and%20Handling%20Recommendations.2023-07_EN.pdf

Kunz, T.H. and S. Parsons (Eds.). 2009. Ecological and Behavioral Methods for the Study of Bats, 2nd Edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press. 901 pp.

-currently out of print. A copy will be available to view at the course.

Ontario Government bat survey guidelines are currently outdated and being revised. Old versions should not be used until official ones are re-issued.