Gail Armstrong - Bat Species in the Arnside and Silverdale AONB
Noctule bat - Nyctalus noctula
Status: Widespread but uncommon
Habit: Nocturnal, emerges early
Head & body length: c80mm
Wingspan: c400mm
Food: Diptera bugs, caddis flies, beetles and moths
Habitat: Deciduous and mixed woodland, pasture and parkland
This is the largest British bat and has long, narrow wings which means that it flies very fast and in the open. It has short, round ears and sleek chestnut or reddish-brown fur all over.
Daubenton's bat - Myotis daubentoni
Status: Widespread and common on waterways
Habit: Nocturnal, emerges late
Head & body length: c50mm
Wingspan: c250mm
Food: Midges, caddis flies, aphids, mayflies, lacewings
Habitat: Deciduous woodland, usually close to water
A medium sized bat which emerges well after sunset and mainly forages low over bodies of still and slow flowing water.
Natterer's bat - Myotis nattereri
Status: Widespread but uncommon and elusive
Habit: Nocturnal, emerges late
Head & body length: c50mm
Wingspan: c275mm
Food: Spiders, harvestmen, flies, moths and beetles
Habitat: Predominantly woodland and vegetated waterside
A slow flying bat and is known to glean for non-flying prey items such as spiders. The face is bare and pink and ear tips tapered.
Whiskered bat - Myotis mystacinus
Status: Widespread but uncommon
Habit: Nocturnal
Head & body length: c42mm
Wingspan: c225mm
Food: A broad range of small flying insects such as Diptera, moths and lacewings
Habitat: Wide range of semi-open habitats
A small bat which is surprisingly numerous within the AONB although few roost sites have been found. The wings and face are dark and belly fur is much lighter than the dorsal. They ‘patrol’ slowly along a hedgerow or other linear feature, usually staying at a constant height, in contrast to the rapid and acrobatic flight of the more common pipistrelle bats.
Brandt's bat - Myotis brandtii
Status: Widespread but uncommon
Habit: Nocturnal
Head & Body length: c42mm
Wingspan: c225mm
Food: A broad range of small flying insects such as Diptera, moths and lacewings
Habitat: Deciduous and mixed woodland
Similar to the Whiskered bat but it has a closer association with woodland. The wings and face are usually paler than Whiskered bats but other physical differences are subtle and variable.
Brown long-eared bat - Plecotus auritus
Status: Widespread but reasonably common near woodland
Habit: Nocturnal, emerges late
Head & body length: c45mm
Wingspan: c250mm
Food: Mainly moths but also Diptera and other bugs as well as some non-flying prey
Habitat: Deciduous and mixed woodland
A medium sized species but with extremely long ears and very quiet echolocation calls. It is very closely associated with a cluttered environment such as broad leaved woodland. It has pale brown fur, broad wings and flies slowly and deliberately, often gleaning insect prey from the foliage.
Common pipistrelle - Pipistrellus pipistrellus
Status: Widespread and common
Habit: Nocturnal
Head & body length: c40mm
Wingspan: c220mm
Food: Diptera and numerous other small flying insects
Habitat: All habitats including urban parks and gardens
A small, common species which occurs in all habitats and is often seen at, or just after, sunset foraging around gardens. It has small round ears and a uniform dark brown fur with a blackish face and wing membranes. The flight looks erratic with many tight twists and turns as it chases after the small flying insects that make up its diet.
Soprano pipistrelle - Pipistrellus pygmaeus
Status: Widespread and common
Habit: Nocturnal
Head & body length: c40mm
Wingspan: c220mm
Food: Diptera and numerous other small aquatic insects
Habitat: All habitats but more common near rivers, canals and lakes
Very similar to the common pipistrelle but more often found in a water habitat, roosting close to rivers and lakes and a larger portion of its diet is made up of aquatic insects. The fur is usually paler than the common pipistrelle and skin membranes are pinky-brown.
Other species which may occur in the AONB, but for which there are no recorded roosts, are as follows.
Nathusius pipistrelle - Pipistrellus nathusi
Probably overlooked, it is slightly larger than the other two pipistrelle species with ventral fur that is much paler than the dorsal. It is widespread in Europe and thought to be migratory, sometimes occurring in Britain in the winter. It is usually found near water.
Leisler's bat - Nyctalus leisleri
Related to, but smaller than, the Noctule bat and recent research in Southern Scotland has shown that they forage at higher altitudes. A ‘lion's mane’ of thicker, grey-brown fur around the shoulders is usually apparent.
Alcathoe's bat - Myotis alcathoe
Slightly smaller than the whiskered and Brandt's bats, it has recently been discovered in Yorkshire and may be present but previously overlooked in other areas.
Image 1: Brown Long-eared (Silverdale Sept'16) Image 2: Brnatds 2 Image 3: Cpip 3
Image 1: Daub 5 Image 2: Natterers 4 Image 3: Soprano Pip DT2
Whisked Bat Crop