UK Bat Species

There are 17 species of bat in the UK.

They range from the tiny pipistrelle, weighing in at around 5g (less than a £1 coin!), to our biggest bat, the greater mouse-eared - which is still smaller than the palm of your hand!

The bat sounds available on this page are from a heterodyne bat detector. More bat sounds are available in our Bat Sound Library, which is available to BCT Members and National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) volunteers.

Barbastelle

Barbastella barbastellus

Barbastelle bat (JJ Kaczanow)

A rare and distinctive bat with a pug-like face and large, wide ears.

Listen to a barbastelle

Species Fact Sheet (available soon)

Bechstein's bat

Myotis bechsteini

Bechstein's bat (Hugh Clark)

One of our rarest bats, found in parts of southern England and
south-east Wales. Find out about our Bechstein's Bat Project.

Listen to a Bechstein's bat

Species Fact Sheet (available soon)

Brandt's bat

Myotis brandtii

Brandt's bat (Sam Talbot)

 

 

Very similar to the whiskered bat, only being separated as
distinct species in 1970.

Listen to a Brandt's bat (not yet available)

Species Fact Sheet

Brown long-eared bat

Plecotus auritus

Brown long-eared (Steve Parker)


Huge ears provide exceptionally sensitive hearing - it can even
hear a ladybird walking on a leaf!

Listen to a brown long-eared bat

Species Fact Sheet

Common pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Common pipistrelle (Hugh Clark)


Pipistrelles are the commonest British bats.
A single pip can eat 3,000 tiny insects in just one night!

Listen to a common pipistrelle

Species Fact Sheet

Daubenton's bat

Myotis daubentonii

Daubenton's bat (J J Kaczanow)


Known as the 'water bat' as they fish insects from the water's
surface with their large feet or tail.

Listen to a Daubenton's bat

Species Fact Sheet

Greater horseshoe bat

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Greater horseshoe (J J Kaczanow)


Horseshoe bats possess a distinctive horseshoe-shaped noseleaf.

Listen to a greater horseshoe bat

Species Fact Sheet

Greater
mouse-eared bat

Myotis myotis

Greater mouse-eared (R E Stebbings)


Was declared extinct in 1990, but an individual has been
hibernating in southern England since 2002.

Listen to a greater mouse-eared bat (not yet available)

Species Fact Sheet (available soon)

Grey long-eared bat

Plecotus austriacus

Grey long-eared (Hugh Clark)


Generally a little larger than the brown long-eared bat and has a dark face.

Listen to a grey long-eared bat (not yet available)

Species Fact Sheet

Leisler's bat

Nyctalus leisleri

Leisler's bat (R E Stebbings)


Also known as the 'hairy-armed bat', it's similar to the noctule but smaller with longer fur.

Listen to a Leisler's bat

Species Fact Sheet

Lesser horseshoe bat

Rhinolophus hipposideros

Lesser horseshoe (J J Kaczanow)


Able to wrap its wings completely around its body while at rest,
differing from the greater horseshoe bat whose face can usually be seen.

Listen to a lesser horseshoe bat

Species Fact Sheet

Nathusius' pipistrelle

Pipistrellus nathusii

Nathusius' pipistrelle (J J Kaczanow)

A previous migrant species, it has only been classed as a resident species since 1997.

Listen to a Nathusius' pipistrelle

Species Fact Sheet

Natterer's bat

Myotis nattereri

Natterer's bat (Rob Parkin)

Its broad wings enable it to fly slowly and prey on a wide variety of insects, even snatching spiders from their webs!

Listen to a Natterer's bat

Species Fact Sheet

Noctule

Nyctalus noctula

Noctule (R E Stebbings)







Has long narrow wings and flies in a straight line, very high and fast.

Listen to a noctule

Species Fact Sheet

Serotine

Eptesicus serotinus

Serotine (R Stebbings)

Has broad wings and a leisurely flapping flight.

Listen to a serotine

Species Fact Sheet

Soprano pipistrelle

Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Soprano pipistrelle (J J Kaczanow)

Similar to common pipistrelle but distinguished by its higher frequency echolocation call.

Listen to a soprano pipistrelle

Species Fact Sheet

Whiskered bat

Myotis mystacinus

Whiskered (J J Kaczanow)

Slightly smaller than Brandt's bat but sharing the same shaggy fur.

Listen to a whiskered bat

Species Fact Sheet

Related downloads

Scotland's Bats (291 KB) - 01/01/04
Fact sheet on the different species of bat found in Scotland