Why are bats not blind?

The common belief that bats are blind is a misconception; in reality, bats are not blind at all. Many species possess eyesight that is quite keen, and some are even capable of seeing better in low-light conditions than humans.123

The myth of bat blindness likely persists because of their nocturnal habits and their reliance on echolocation to navigate and hunt in the dark. While smaller bats (Microchiroptera) use echolocation to pinpoint prey and avoid obstacles, this ability is an evolutionary adaptation for hunting in the dark rather than a compensation for a lack of vision. In fact, bats use their eyes for various essential tasks, including long-distance navigation, detecting motion, and synchronizing their internal clocks with cycles of daylight and darkness. For some species, vision is so effective that it can even override echolocation signals.1432