Biosonar Responsivity Sets the Stage for the Terminal Buzz

Echolocating bats must continuously adapt their sonar output to meet the increasing demands of prey pursuit. While call rate and duration modulations have been extensively described, the underlying control thresholds governing these transitions remain poorly understood. Here, we present a predictive framework based on a novel metric responsivity, defined as the inverse change in interpulse interval (IPI), to quantify moment-to-moment temporal precision in sonar control. This metric reveals a critical transition point—buzz readiness— where fine-scale IPI adjustments peak prior to the onset of the terminal buzz. By integrating biologically plausible reaction time constraints with echo-acoustic feedback loops, our model predicts how increasing relative velocity compresses the time available for sonar adaptation. Simulations incorporating prey motion and bat flight kinematics reproduce a consistent sublinear tradeooff between call rate and relative velocity. High-resolution field recordings from a portable, custom-built microphone array validate the model predictions, demonstrating that buzz readiness thresholds reliably align with behavioural transitions in natural prey interception. The framework further explains why shortened or absent buzzes occur at high velocities, when reaction constraints prevent full transition into the buzz phase. This work introduces a generalised, predictive model linking sensory-motor control, kinematics, and temporal adaptation in bat biosonar. The responsivity approach offers new tools to quantify control dynamics in natural behaviour and provides a foundation for biologically inspired sensing systems operating under real-time constraints.