Bat Species of the Year 2026-27: Leisler's Bat (Nyctalus leisleri)

The Leisler’s Bat is a typical woodland bat, and can migrate hundreds of kilometres across Europe between summer and winter roosts. During its migrations, this bat species can be very negatively impacted by wind turbines, both directly when coming into contact with turbines, and also under growing pressure as wind turbines are increasingly being built in forests in some parts of Europe, and so threatening the Leisler's foraging habitats. By selecting the Leisler’s Bat as ‘Bat Species of the Year 2026-2027’, BatLife Europe and its partners aim to highlight conservation issues, and promote best practices being implemented everywhere in Europe for the protection of this species.

The Leisler’s Bat is widespread in Europe but has a patchy distribution and is missing in most parts of Scandinavia and some regions in southern Europe.

In most of its range, the Leisler’s bat is a typical forest-dwelling bat. It prefers natural forests with a high proportion of old growth. There it roosts in tree hollows and prefers to hunt just above the treetops. Other foraging habitats include large bodies of water, but also near streetlights, where they prey on insects attracted by the light. In some parts of Europe, they can also roost in attics of buildings and hunt over pastures.The Leisler’s bat can travel long distances of several hundred kilometers between its summer and hibernation roosts. Most of the migrations observed were in a southwest-northeast direction: the long-distance record is held by a female that was tagged in eastern Germany and found over 1,500 km away in northern Spain (and a year and a half later back again in Germany).

As for many migratory bat species, a major threat is the rapidly growing use of wind energy without curtailment procedures. Many Leisler’s bats are killed by wind turbines, either by direct collision with the blades or from the impact of a rapid change in air pressure, a barotrauma.

Leislers Bat Factsheet

Bat of the Year 2024-25: Greater Mouse-eared Bat

The Greater Mouse-Eared Bat is widespread in Europe (except the northern parts), where populations are recovering from large historical declines in the latter half of last century. To survive, this species needs a variety of key habitats throughout the year. In large parts of Europe, females raise their young in the quiet attics of large buildings and hunt for food in semi-natural deciduous forests or across meadows and pastures in the cultivated landscape. For hibernation, mouse-eared bats need stable microclimatic conditions for months, which they find in natural caves.

Greater Mouse-eared infographics can be found on our infographics page

A talk on the Greater Mouse-eared by Dr Andreas Zahn is availalbe on our webinars page

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Bat of the Year 2022-23: Brown Long-eared Bat

The Brown Long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) is a medium sized, distinctive looking bat. They are common and widespread in most of Europe, with the exception of southern Spain, southern Italy, and Greece. Brown long-eared bats have ears almost as long as their body, giving them exceptionally sensitive hearing, particularly at low frequencies. They are known as ‘whispering bats’ because their echolocation sounds are very quiet.

Bat of the Year 2020-21: Barbastelle

The Barbastelle is rare in Europe, and, as a typical bat of old and diverse woodland, is a great indicator of the health of the forest ecosystem. It faces similar threats across Europe, which requires a close collaboration and communication at the continental scale for its conservation. By selecting Barbastelle as ‘Bat Species of the Year 2020-2021’, BatLife Europe and its partners aim to highlight conservation issues but also best practices implemented everywhere in Europe for the protection of this species.

Some Barbastelle infographics sheets are available on our publications and resources page.

Bat of the Year 2018-19: Lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros)

BatLife Europe partners voted the lesser horseshoe bat as Bat of the Year 2018-19.

The lesser horseshoe bat is a very small species weighing only 5-9 g. This species heavily depends on human activities because it uses buildings and other man-made structures as nursery roosts. Houses, churches and other buildings are used for their young to rear in summer. The preferred feeding habitats are woodland, hedgerows and orchards where lesser horseshoe bats hunt moths, crane flies, lacewings, and other insects. During winter it can be found hibernating in caves, tunnels, mines and cellars.

Some lesser horseshoe bat infographics sheets are available on our publications and resources page.

Bat of the Year 2016-17: Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)

In 2016 BatLife Europe asked its partners to vote for their 'Bat of the Year', and they chose the Noctule!

This fascinating species is a long distance migrant and, as such, is a perfect example of how one must look beyond borders and cooperate internationally to conserve sensitive species.

The distribution of the Noctule covers vast areas of Europe. While its breeding areas are located mainly in the north-east, it hibernates mainly in south-western or southern parts of Europe. The Noctule is a typical forest species but it also uoccurs in other habitats, and even in cities, provided that there are enough old trees present.

(c) Hugh Clark / Bat Conservation Trust

(c) Hugh Clark / Bat Conservation Trust

Bat of the Year 2015: Nathusius Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii)

The Batlife Europe trustees chose the first Bat of Year species, the Nathusius' Pipistrelle. The species is found throughout most of Europe with individuals migrating over huge distances and travelling through many countries. It is the perfect species to illustrate how European NGOs can work together to promote and carry out bat conservation.

Click here to see our Nathusius' Pipistrelle Factsheet