A Map of Echoes – The Poetry of Science

In dusk’s still throat,
shadow-singers carve
their path
through air’s thick weave –
song-lines stretched
through crumbling walls
of root and stone.
Night’s shroud softens,
filled with pulse-waves
to trace the bones of earth –
ghosting familiar shapes
through silent fields.
They feel the far-off call,
a drift of land-breath
brushed through wing’s edge –
distance a tender echo,
waiting to be heard.

This poem is inspired by recent research, which has found that bats use an acoustic cognitive map for navigation.

Scientists have long been fascinated by how animals navigate their environments, especially under challenging conditions. Bats are particularly intriguing due to their use of echolocation – emitting sound waves and interpreting the returning echoes – to detect obstacles and move through darkness. While it is well established that echolocation helps bats in close-range orientation, it is less clear whether they use this sense to navigate over long distances.

This study examines that question by tracking wild Kuhl’s pipistrelle bats (a bat species weighing only 6 grams) after relocating them from their home area. Researchers manipulated the bats’ access to senses like vision, magnetic fields, and smell, then monitored their movements with an advanced GPS system. Findings reveal that bats can indeed rely on echolocation to navigate several kilometres. A large-scale model further demonstrates how bats create mental maps based on surrounding sounds, enabling them to navigate through unfamiliar terrain. Additionally, the study shows that combining echolocation with vision improves their navigational accuracy, underscoring the adaptability of bat sensory systems.