What are they?
Microbat surveys are essential for ensuring compliance with environmental legislation and planning approvals, as many species — including threatened ones — are protected under state and federal law. These surveys provide critical information on species presence, habitat use, and potential impacts, forming a key component of environmental impact assessments.
Microbats often roost and breed in structures such as bridges, culverts, and buildings, which may require management when maintenance or construction works are planned. Where impacts are unavoidable, survey findings can inform tailored management plans, including mitigation and offset strategies, to protect populations and ensure legal and environmental obligations are met.
Microbat surveys benefit a wide range of organisations. For businesses, they support early identification of ecological constraints, reduce risks, and demonstrate due diligence. Councils, conservation groups, community organisations, and charities also use these surveys to understand local biodiversity, guide land-use planning, inform conservation priorities, and support community engagement.
How We Do It
- Call detection – using specialised bat detectors to record and identify echolocation calls.
- Harp trapping and mist netting – live-capture techniques to confirm species identification, demographics, and health.
- Structural inspections – assessments of caves, bridges, culverts, buildings, and other structures for roosting or breeding sites.
- Habitat assessments – evaluation of roosting and foraging habitat suitability, either to complement acoustic or trapping surveys or as a standalone method outside optimal seasonal timing.
- Tracking methods – radio-telemetry, GPS, and satellite tracking to estimate foraging ranges, roosting preferences, movement patterns, and breeding locations.
This approach allows us to address survey objectives such as determining species diversity, population demographics, or identifying critical habitats and roosting structures.
Following survey completion, BAAM provides practical, project-specific advice and management recommendations. These may include mitigation measures, habitat management strategies, or detailed microbat management plans aligned with legislative requirements, enabling clients to make informed decisions while supporting biodiversity outcomes.
BAAM has extensive experience undertaking microbat surveys across Australia, from large infrastructure projects to local conservation initiatives. Our team has conducted targeted roosting inspections, habitat assessments, and advanced tracking studies for a range of species, including threatened microbats.We hold all the required permits, specialised equipment, and vaccinations necessary to safely and legally conduct this work. Combined with decades of ecological expertise, this ensures surveys are delivered to the highest professional and ethical standards.
Our staff have contributed to numerous scientific publications and soft media articles on microbats, reflecting our research expertise and thought leadership. We provide clear, practical management recommendations tailored to each project, including mitigation, habitat management, and conservation strategies.
By engaging BAAM, clients benefit from a team with proven experience, technical rigour, and a strong track record in delivering practical, defensible outcomes for microbat management and conservation.
