What happens during the search phase of bat echolocation?

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bat Livingstone's fruit bat (*Pteropus livingstonii*) in flight.

During the search phase of echolocation, a bat is not yet focused on a specific target. In this initial stage, the bat typically emits approximately 10 pulses per second to scan its environment for obstacles or potential prey.1

This phase precedes the approach and terminal phases, which occur once the bat detects an object and begins to devote its attention to it. By interpreting the echoes that return from these pulses, the bat can identify the direction, distance, and velocity of objects in its vicinity.1