Connect with nature, even after the sun sets, with one of these best bat detectors and listen to the clicking of their echolocation at twilight
Because bats are active at dusk and through the night, they can be tricky to observe. You might catch a fleeting silhouette as they dart through the twilight sky, but a bat detector can transform the experience — allowing you to hear and track them well into the dark hours. If you’ve never tried one before, the first time you listen to bat calls is nothing short of astonishing.
Donald Solick, a bat biologist with Vesper Bat Echolocation Services, recommends that most casual wildlife enthusiasts start with active bat detectors rather than passive ones. “Active detectors are usually handheld devices with screens, so you can watch and hear bat echolocation in real time,” he explains. Passive models, on the other hand, are better suited for research and long-term monitoring, sometimes running for weeks or months without direct interaction.
All of our top five recommended bat detectors are active models (one also includes passive capability), but bat tracking isn’t for everyone. If you’d prefer a different way to connect with nature, you might enjoy our other guides to the best binoculars for bird-watching and the best cameras for wildlife photography.