A research group led by Professor Yoichi Kawaguchi of the Sado Center for Environmental Science has examined the feasibility of using shipborne radar to survey bats and confirmed its effectiveness as a wide-area monitoring method.
A research group led by Project Assistant Professor Yudai Sato and Professor Yoichi Kawaguchi of the Sado Center for Environmental Science at our university has examined the feasibility of using shipborne radar to survey bats and confirmed its effectiveness as a wide-area monitoring method.
The research group demonstrated a method for installing radar to ensure a sufficient observation range for the long-eared bat (Vespertilio sinensis, Note 1), which is known for its high flying ability, and clarified the observation distance at which individual flight movements can be detected with high accuracy. This indicates the possibility that radar can survey a wider area than conventional methods, and is expected to advance our understanding of the important spaces used by bats.
The results of this research were published online in the international scientific journal PLoS One on November 20, 2025.
Key points of this research
- We demonstrated how to install radar to efficiently capture bat flight.
- We have revealed the observation distance at which bats can be detected using shipboard radar.
- Marine radar can be a useful survey tool for wide-area monitoring of bats.
[Terminology]
(Note 1) Vesper bat:
In Japan, they are widely distributed across Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. They also live on artificial structures such as railway overpasses, and it is suggested that they migrate long distances seasonally. This species has been reported to be the most common cause of bat deaths at wind farms in Japan.
Research details
Paper information
[Publication] PLoS One
[Paper title] Detection performance of an X-band marine radar system for free-flying Asian particolored bats (Vespertilio sinensis)
Authors: Takahiro Sato, Yoichi Kawaguchi
[doi]10.1371/journal.pone.0337422