Every year on April 17, the world celebrates International Bat Appreciation Day to remind us of the important role that bats play in our daily lives. They help pollinate flowers and fruits, control agricultural pests and create rich fertilizer for communities.

I recently had one of the most interesting bat encounters during a recent field recording expedition to Mpanga Forest Reserve in Uganda. On a quest to record some of Africa’s quiet places, I was treated to one of the most weird and beautiful animal sounds I’ve ever heard, the Hammer headed fruit bat’s honk! It’s a sound I would not have associated with bats.

I learnt that the males of this bat species use the honk to compete against each other and attract females. The bat with the loudest honk wins a mate!

Enjoy this bat’s honk🦇🦇

Listen to the full recording at Earth.Fm

https://earth.fm/recordings/nocturnal-chorus-at-mpanga-central-forest-reserve