Updates – SonoBat

SonoBat 30.2 classifier and program updates

July 2026, current build [20260730]

Good software is a living thing, and in this spirit we keep breathing health into SonoBat with continual refinement and improvement. Since the public release of SonoBat 30 in June 2024 we have continued to refine and expand its framework. This and previous v30 updates reflect substantial additions to SonoBat’s already extensive species-known in flight tracked bat call library, collected through fieldwork in eastern and western North America; extended field trials; feedback from users; and further refinement of algorithms and recursive tests, all of which increase both classification accuracy and the percentage of files reaching accepted-level decisions.

This current update is built with an updated compiler to maintain fluency with current operating systems. It implements multiple features to improve workflow and performance and further refinements such as GPS capacity to SonoBat Live. The SonoBat Data Wizard Transector utility can now accept a transect .gpx file recorded by any device and meld with recorded files from any device to generate a .kmz file from a transect to visualize and compare transects using Google Earth or or any other geospatial analysis software or routine that uses the .kmz file standard. In areas with reliable cell coverage GPS-enabled SonoBat Live encodes position metadata to each recording and generates a .gpx track file of the transect all in a single operation.

Build [20260630] delivers improvements to the SonoBat Data Wizard Buzz Detector that resolve an issue from earlier 2026 Buzz Detector updates that enhanced buzz detection sensitivity but unfortunately resulted in unacceptably high rates of false positive detections with certain recording hardware and conditions. The updated Buzz Detector also introduces a setting that allows users to opt between high grade detection of confident buzz detections that minimizes vetting (made easily with the Vetting Table set to buzz vetting layout) or tolerant detection that can find lower power buzzes but with likely more vetting required to accept or reject detections. We strongly recommend this update for any buzz analysis.

Build [20260730] supplements build [20260630] with some minor changes to increase the robustness of location metadata the the SonoBat Data Wizard Transector utility can use to build .kmz files to visualize transect data, for example data from BatLogger detectors, and data entry management to protect SonoBat Attributers from overwriting existing location metadata in transect files.

Version 30.2 delivers a thorough overhaul of the Vetting Table to increase speed and functionality. Originally built to review and vet a single night’s recordings, the Vetting Table has since become relied upon to review, vet, organize, and prepare reports for large sets of data, some with a tens of thousands of files or more. With this update the Vetting Table now exports all reports in .csv file format. The Vetting Table now manages large data sets with much greater fluency and alacrity, scrolling smoothly with large data sets, sorting, and performing other operations with equivalent speeds of spreadsheets performing similar operations.

In addition, the main program, utilities, and export tools all have updates to meet the 2024 NABat data template guidelines.

View the update documents linked below to follow details of SonoBat update progress.

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_july2026.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_june2026.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_may2026.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_sep2025.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_aug2025.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_may2025.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_apr2025.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_mar2025.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_feb2025.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_jan2025.pdf

https://sonobat.com/download/SonoBat30_classifier_and_progam_updates_dec2024.pdf

Always run the most current program build and available classifier for the most accurate classification results. You can recognize the provenance of SonoBat classifier modules from the [cYYYYMMDD] part of a classifier filename. To gain the benefits of the updated classifiers, eliminate confusion, speed program startup, and reduce memory overhead, we recommend that you remove any older classifier modules from your data folder after the update.

How to find the provenance of your SonoBat installation and classifiers.

Current program build: 20260730 eastern and western North America, and Universal.

Most current classifier series:

[c20260527] for northEast and Midwest, [c20260310]for other eastern regions, [c20260607] for US west, Great basin, Arizona, Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, [c20260310] for Dakotas and central Canada, [c20250212] for Alaska and [c20251121]for Montana and Mountain West. Overall refinement and performance boost in classifiers from adding additional reference recordings and peculiar species edge situations encountered during the 2025 field season. Refined call data extraction algorithms to go deeper into marginal signals to produce more accepted species results on calls otherwise not ID’d previously.

⚠️ Western [c20260527] classifiers had a bug that rendered many Pahe sequences either not classified or incorrectly classified. Please discard those classifier modules and use the current western [c20260607] modules.

Added reporting of Lano song detection. (Files must be batch-processed with [c20260310] or later classifiers to view Lano song detections. Add column in Vetting Table to view results). Added Trans-Pecos classifier with Pahe-Pesu provisional classification*; added lower Atlantic Coastal Plain and northwest TX.

* Consider classifications of Pahe/Pesu as provisional and only inferential. See https://sonobat.com/Western_Eastern_RedBat_discrimination

The current updaters (below) will install the most current classifiers along with program updates.

About the SonoBat 30 Updaters

These installers will update a currently installed SonoBat 30 installation and retain your current license, settings, example files, and reference files.

Running these updaters requires an existing licensed SonoBat 30 installation.

This installation will update SonoBat program files and place updated classifier modules in the “data” folder with your SonoBat program files.

Running the Updaters requires administrator access to your program files. Users in organizations with security limitations may require assistance from their IT staff.

How to update

Select the updater to match an installed SonoBat installation, SonoBat eastern North America or SonoBat western North America, and select the updater that matches your computer’s architecture: Windows, Intel Macintosh, or Apple Silicon Macintosh (M-series processors). Download, open the file, then run the installer program (SonoBat 30…Updater.exe if Windows or SonoBat 30…Updater.pkg if Macintosh).

Note: The updater will not change your preferences for a default classifier selection and so remain pointed to an older classifier pack. You must manually select an updated classifier pack (and save that selection in your Preferences). To avoid confusion and reduce memory load we recommend removing older classifier packs from the data folder next to your SonoBat program file.