It's pretty much impossible to go out listening for bats and not encounter Common or Soprano pips, they are everywhere and have adapted to a wide range of habitats and will happily roost in towns and cities.
Nathusius' Pipistrelle is less common than the other two, it is said to be widespread across the UK but sparse in population numbers, and it is also associated with bodies of water.
Here are some quick factfiles
Common pip with distinctive black mask
Name: Common Pipistrelle - Pipistrellus pipistrellus
Distribution: Common and widespread throughout the UK.
Emergence: Approx 20-35 mins after sunset.
Habitat: Found in a very wide range of habitats and is known to forage in farmland, parks, gardens, bodies of water and edge habitats like treelines and hedgerows. Can also be found in coniferous woodland, beaches and lower level mountainous areas.
Echolocation: ~46kHz, may be 40-50kHz depending on surroundings.
Call:
Sonogram (Analook):
Soprano pip, similar to common but smaller and without mask
Distribution: Common and widespread throughout the UK, though possibly more common in northern Britain than the common pip.
Emergence: Approx 20-30 mins after sunset.
Habitat: More of a specialist in its choice of habitat than the common pip. It is common in areas with bodies of water such as rivers, canals, lakes, ponds and reservoirs, and in woodland edges and parks.
Echolocation: ~55kHz, may be 50-60kHz depending on surroundings.
Call:
Sonogram (Analook):
Nathusius' pip, paler in colour than common and soprano pips
Distribution: Widespread but rare.
Emergence: Approx 20-30 mins after sunset.
Habitat: Deciduous woodland rides and edges and meadows, also typically associated with water such as rivers, lakes and canals. UK records are generally within a few km of water.
Echolocation: ~39kHz, may be 35-40kHz depending on surroundings.
Call:
Sonogram (Analook):
Hopefully this little Pipistrelle fact file has been interesting/useful to you.
Thanks to Elekon Bat Library for the bat calls!
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