Japanese bats synchronize calls to avoid noise, improve hunting, study finds

Bats navigate and hunt in darkness using echolocation, emitting high-frequency sound waves and interpreting the returning echoes. However, when many bats call simultaneously, their signals can overlap, creating noise that hinders prey detection. A new study from Doshisha University in Japan, reported by Science X, reveals how greater Japanese horseshoe bats overcome this challenge.

These bats gradually adjust their calls so that colony members use nearly identical frequencies. This synchronization allows for clearer echoes, improving their ability to locate prey while flying together. Unlike most bat species that change frequency within each call, greater Japanese horseshoe bats emit calls with both changing frequencies and a sustained, nearly constant frequency section. This unique vocalization, combined with a highly sensitive hearing system tuned to specific frequencies, helps them detect subtle echo changes and compensate for the Doppler shift caused by movement.

The research, which utilized data collected between 2008 and 2024 from 15 different capture events, involved studying wild greater Japanese horseshoe bats housed in captive colonies. Researchers measured the bats' echolocation frequencies before they joined the colonies and again after approximately one month. Scientists are interested in bat echolocation not only for understanding bat behavior but also for its inspiration in developing advanced sonar systems and robotic sensing technology.