Bats
Finding food by ear
The mysterious bats are among the hunters of the night. Their prey are flying insects – noctuid moths, caddis flies and mosquitoes. With their poor eyesight, bats cannot see detail. Instead, they rely on their hearing to locate food.
Two species
Most bat species live in agricultural areas, near farms and towns. Here are two common species:
the northern bat (above) and the brown long-eared bat. Both hunt a common noctuid moth, the large yellow underwing, which is airborne during the summer and early autumn. How do bats catch their food?
