SFX Jar

Bat Sounds

Hear how different bats sound: Little Brown Bat, Tri-coloured Bat, Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Silver-haired Bat and more. Play, loop or download each recording.

8 sounds · free MP3 download · free to use

Bat Sounds

  1. Little Brown Bat

    Myotis lucifugus, recorded in CA, USA, 2020. Slowed 10× so the ultrasonic calls are audible.

    CC BY 4.0 · Credit: Vanessa Ramirez, CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

    1:30MP3
  2. Tri-coloured Bat

    Perimyotis subflavus, recorded in US-FL, US, 2020. Slowed 10× so the ultrasonic calls are audible.

    CC BY 4.0 · Credit: CJ Campbell, CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

    1:30MP3
  3. Townsend's Big-eared Bat

    Corynorhinus townsendii, recorded in US-CA, US, 2021. Slowed 10× so the ultrasonic calls are audible.

    CC BY 4.0 · Credit: Amelia Tauber, CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

    1:18MP3
  4. Silver-haired Bat

    Lasionycteris noctivagans, recorded in NE, USA, 2021. Slowed 10× so the ultrasonic calls are audible.

    CC BY 4.0 · Credit: Colin Croft, CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

    1:30MP3
  5. Big Brown Bat

    Eptesicus fuscus, recorded in US-NH, US, 2021. Slowed 10× so the ultrasonic calls are audible.

    CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

    0:50MP3
  6. Mexican Free-tailed Bat

    Tadarida brasiliensis, recorded in TX, USA, 2022. Slowed 10× so the ultrasonic calls are audible.

    CC BY 4.0 · Credit: Madison Gover, CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

    1:30MP3
  7. Cries of bats

    Cries of a little bat found on the ground :'( Bats use ultrasound to move and hunt, but they also shout in some cases.

    CC0 1.0 · BigSoundBank

    0:13MP3
  8. Spotted Bat

    Sound Library - Spotted Bat

    Public domain · National Park Service

    0:07MP3

Questions

Can I use these bat sounds in a YouTube video or a paid project?

Yes. Every clip here is CC0, public domain or CC BY, and all of those allow use in monetised videos, podcasts, games, apps and client work, with no fee and no need to ask.

Do I need to give credit for these bat sounds?

Only for five of the eight clips, the ones marked CC BY 4.0. Put the credit line in your description or end credits, for example "Little Brown Bat, Vanessa Ramirez, CC BY 4.0", "Tri-coloured Bat, CJ Campbell, CC BY 4.0" and "Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Amelia Tauber, CC BY 4.0". The other three need no credit.

Do all bats sound the same?

No. Each species has its own calls, which is why this page has six of them: Little Brown Bat, Tri-coloured Bat, Townsend's Big-eared Bat, Silver-haired Bat, Big Brown Bat and Mexican Free-tailed Bat. If you are trying to name one you heard, start with the species found near you.

Why are the bat calls slowed down?

Bats echolocate with calls above 20 kHz, beyond human hearing. These recordings were made with bat detectors and slowed ten times, which brings the calls down into the range you can hear.