Three-dimensional sonar beam-width expansion by Japanese house bats (Pipistrellus abramus) during natural foraging.

Three-dimensional directivity patterns of sonar sounds emitted by Japanese house bats (Pipistrellus abramus) during natural foraging were measured by a 44-channel microphone array. Just before prey capture, the terminal frequency (TF) of emitted sounds decreased, and the beam width (mean ± standard deviation) expanded from 40 ± 10° to 63 ± 9° (horizontal) and from 32 ± 10° to 52 ± 7° (vertical). P. abramus decrease the TF to simultaneously expand the beam width in both the horizontal and vertical planes, while retaining the target within the three-dimensional acoustic field of view at the final stage of capture.