- Lifespan
- 4–8 years in the wild, occasionally up to 11 years
- Size & Weight
- 3.5–4.5 cm body length, wingspan 19–22 cm; 2.5–5 g
- Habitat
- Woodland edges, parks, gardens, and hedgerows with scattered trees, often near water; roosts in buildings, bat boxes, and tree crevices.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; resident year-round with some local movement between summer and winter roosts.
- Diet
- Insectivorous, feeding on small flying insects including gnats, midges, small flies, and mosquitoes caught in flight.
- Prey
- Small Diptera (flies and midges), particularly Chironomidae (non-biting midges)
- Predators
- Tawny owls, sparrowhawks, domestic cats, and opportunistic avian predators
- Mating Season
- August to September (autumn mating period)
- Breeding
- Single litter of 1–2 pups (occasionally 3) born June to July; gestation approximately 40 days; young fledge at 3–4 weeks old.
- Behaviour
- Highly social and gregarious, often roosting in large colonies of dozens to hundreds of individuals. Emerges early in the evening to feed on small insects close to vegetation. Males establish territories and produce species-specific echolocation calls at higher frequencies than common pipistrelle.