Barbastelle bat
Barbastella barbastellus

 

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Status:

Like the Leisler’s bat and the Serotine, the Barbastelle is an enigmatic native species with an unknown and probably under-recorded distribution in Snowdonia and indeed the rest of Wales (although a strong population has been found associated with Pengelli forest in south-west Wales). It has a predominantly southern distribution in the UK with a stronghold in some of the deciduous woodlands of southern England. Advances in the use of bat detectors will undoubtedly improve distribution knowledge in Wales.

The species has European Protected Species status in the UK and is a Priority Biodiversity Action Plan species where it occurs. Like all bats it is threatened by loss of roost sites and foraging habitat, particularly through woodland management.

UK nursery colonies are chiefly located in trees, especially in vertical cracks in dead standing trees and broken branches. Loose flaking bark also provides favourable roosts but such sites may be short lived causing the species to frequently relocate. They have also been found in roof spaces of older buildings and barns, where roosts may be shared with other species such as Pipistrelles, Natterer’s and long-eared bats. To date no roosts have been found in Snowdonia but it has been recorded in flight using bat detectors.

The species emerges late, often 1 hour after sunset flying in and around the tree canopy. Radio-tracking studies have shown that the species will make a direct commuting flight to favoured foraging sites up to 18km away, these commutes are often direct and fast. Once at the foraging site the bat may hold a regular beat from tree top level with occasional swoops to the ground hawking for insects over floodplain pasture and reedbed, but also along roads with hedges and around street lights. Favoured prey items are small moths.

Females gather at nursery roosts in early summer (with colony size of less than 30 individuals). Females give birth to a single baby in mid-late June and the nursery roost generally stays stable until the juveniles are weaned in August. Males in the summer are solitary or in small groups.

The greatest recorded longevity for this species is 22 years.