Research interests

• Behavioral ecology
• Bioacustics
• Chiroptera (bats), Noctilio leporinus
• ChiRoPing project

Scientific projects

The principal objective of my dissertation in the framework of the EU project ChiRoPing is the discovery of ways of realising robust and versatile embodied active sonar sensor systems based on the echolocation behavior of bats ( www.chiroping.org). Until now, very little is known about exactly how bats (Chiroptera) achieve their skilled hunting behaviors in their varied habitats. My role within the ChiRoPing project is to provide behavioral data on the performance of one of the four selected bat species while facing different sensorial tasks where echolocation is needed to solve them.

In my dissertation project I am studying adaptations of the study species in order to be able to adequately judge its flexibility in the hunting and flight behaviour and functionality of echolocation calls. I am conducting experiments with the Neotropical fishing bat Noctilio leporinus (Noctilionidae) that captures prey, mostly small fish or insects, from the water surface (trawling) (Schnitzler et al. 1994). My goal is the identification and measurement of the relevant acoustic and morphological parameters of the hunting and flight behavior of the bats as they perform natural hunting tasks under semi-natural conditions.

My main fieldwork and data acquisition took place on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), a field station of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panamá. Individual, naïve bats will be temporarily kept in a flight cage. The dimensions of the flight cage are especially designed for the needs of the large bat N. leporinus (Hartley et al. 1989, Suthers 1965). The bats were trained to fly towards prey items and their flight and echolocation behavior was monitored via 3 D image capture, ultrasound-recordings and high speed videos. From these experiments I am deriving a comprehensive set of synchronised flight, vocalisation, morphological and behavioral data for the study species.

Literature:

Hartley DJ, Campbell KA, Suthers RA (1989) The acoustic behavior of the fish- catching bat, Noctilio leporinus, during prey capture. J Acoust Soc Am 86(1): 8-27.

Kalko, E. K. V., H.-U. Schnitzler, et al. (1998). "Echolocation and foraging behaviour of the lesser bulldogbat, Noctilio albiventris: preadaptations for piscivory?" Behav Ecol Sociobiol 42: 305-319.

Schnitzler, H.-U., E. K. V. Kalko, et al. (1994). "Fishing and echolocation behaviour of the greater bulldog bat, Noctilio leporinus, in the field." Behavioral Ecology Sociobiology 35: 327-345.

Suthers R (1965). Acoustic orientation by fish-catching bats. J Exp Zool 158: 319-348. 

Publications

... in preparation ...

Conference contributions

Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2011) Listen to who´s calling: eavesdropping on public information in three neotropical bat species. Talk presented at 104. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Zoologischen Gesellschaft (DZG), Saarbrücken, Germany

Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2011) Aufgabenbezogene Flexibilität im Echoortungsverhalten von Noctilio leporinus. Talk presented at Treffen der Fledermausforscher in Deutschland 2011, 20.-22. Januar 2011, Loccum bei Hannover, Germany

F Guarato, J Hallam, K Uebernickel (2010) A method for estimating the orientation of a directional sound source: Application to the trawling bat N. leporinus. Talk presented by F. Guarato at the Annual Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America, abstract published at J. Acoustical Society of America, 128(4), pp. 2484-2484, Oct 2010

Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2010) Task related flexibility in echolocation behaviour of Noctilio leporinus. Talk presented at the 15th International Bat Research Conference, 23.-27. August 2010, Prague, Czech Republic

Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2009) Eavesdropping on public information in six neotropical bat species. Poster presented at the 5th Animal Sonar Symposium, Kyoto, Japan

Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2009) Echolocation and foraging behavior of Noctilio leporinus and its significance for biomimetic applications. Poster presented at the Acoustic Communication Course, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2009) Eavesdropping on public information in six neotropical bat species. Poster presented at the joint meeting of ATBC and GTÖ, Marburg, Germany

Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2009) Funktionalität der Komponenten der Suchflugrufe bei unterschiedlichen sensorischen Aufgaben von Noctilio leporinus und Macrophyllum macrophyllum. Poster presented at the workgroup meeting of bat researchers, Frauenwörth, Chiemsee, Germany

Geipel I, Übernickel K, Kalko EKV (2008) ChiRoPing: Development of a mobile and robust sonar system based on active perception, morphology and behaviour of bats. Poster presented at the Sensory Ecology Course, Lund University, Sweden

Public dissemination

Übernickel K, Simon R & Kalko EKV (2011)  ChiRoPing – von der Fledermaus zum Roboter: Erkennung von Beute auf Wasser und in der Luft. Poster presented at the exhibition:  Was die Technik von Pflanzen lernen kann - Bionik in Botanischen Gärten - Ausstellung im Botanischen Garten der Universität Ulm vom 16.06. bis 11.09.2011, Botanical garden, Ulm, Germany

Übernickel K, Geipel I & Kalko EKV (2008) ChiRoPing: Entwicklung eines beweglichen und robusten Sonarsystems, unter Verwendung von aktiver Wahrnehmung, Morphologie und Verhalten nach dem Vorbild von Fledermäusen. Poster presented at the 4th International Environment Day, University of Ulm, Germany