National Bat Monitoring Programme
Welcome to the online survey pages for the NBMP
We are currently developing online survey management and data entry pages for all of our surveys. We hope that these pages will help you to manage and add your sites, and to enter your data more easily.
Through the hard work and dedication of our volunteer network, BCT runs annual bat surveys across the UK to monitor the status of many of our bat species in a range of habitats: this is the National Bat Monitoring Programme. Monitoring bats is essential because many of our bat populations have suffered dramatic declines in the last century.
Since 1996 more than 3,000 volunteers have taken part in our surveys at over 5,800 sites around the UK. The data collected have already indicated population changes in some species but surveying needs to continue for many more years to help us understand long-term trends.
Anyone can take part in our surveys. We run surveys aimed at beginners as well as experts. We need you to help us continue to track how the UK's bat species are faring. Three main survey methods are used in the programme to monitor bat populations: counts at summer maternity roosts, counts at winter hibernation sites and bat detector surveys in the field.
Click here to find out more about taking part in surveys, to sign up to take part and to manage your surveys
See our results and reports to find out how are bat populations are faring.
For instruction in how to use a bat detector and carry out our Field Survey and Waterway Survey, visit our online tutorials or attend an NBMP training session. National Bat Monitoring Programme volunteers are given access to our online bat sound library.
The National Bat Monitoring Programme is a partnership between the Bat Conservation Trust, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Defra and Natural Resources Wales and is part of the Tracking Mammals Partnership. Additional funding is provided by Natural England. Data are shared on the NBN Gateway.
