Bats wearing tiny mics reveal how the fliers avoid rush hour collisions

As thousands fly from caves at dusk, the cacophony can briefly stymie echolocation

A bat flies in a cave very close to a rocky ceiling.

A greater mouse-tailed bat flying alone can easily echolocate obstacles, but scientists studied how bats navigate in the equivalent of a loud cocktail party with the echolocation pings of many airborne together.

Jens Rydell

The first bat-wearable microphone is helping biologists study the bats’ good safety record at avoiding collisions in rush hour air.