About Our Most Common Bats: Pipistrelles

Pipistrelles are the bats that most people see in Scotland. They fly through gardens, parks, woodland edges, and along tree lines at dusk, feeding on midges and small insects. Although pipistrelles are tiny, they play a major role in keeping insect populations in balance. Scotland is home to three pipistrelle species: the common pipistrelle, the soprano pipistrelle, and the less frequently seen Nathusius’ pipistrelle.

This blog introduces each species and explains how to recognise their behaviour.

The common pipistrelle

The common pipistrelle is Scotland’s most widespread bat. It is highly adaptable and uses a wide range of habitats, including urban areas. These bats often roost in buildings, roof spaces, and gaps behind fascia boards. They emerge around sunset and fly with quick, agile movements as they catch midges and small flies.

Common pipistrelles are usually the species seen darting around gardens on warm evenings.

The soprano pipistrelle

The soprano pipistrelle looks very similar to the common pipistrelle, but it has some key differences. As the name suggests, it echolocates at a higher frequency. While this cannot be heard by people, it helps specialists identify the species using acoustic detectors.

Soprano pipistrelles are strongly associated with water. Burns, lochs, rivers, and ponds provide ideal feeding grounds because these areas support large numbers of midges. People often spot soprano pipistrelles skimming low over water at dusk.

This species tends to form larger summer maternity roosts than the common pipistrelle. Roosts may contain hundreds of bats in suitable buildings.

Nathusius’ pipistrelle

Nathusius’ pipistrelle is less common but is increasingly recorded in Scotland. It is associated with long-distance movement and is believed to migrate across parts of Europe. In Scotland, records have increased over the last decade, often near large waterbodies such as lochs and reservoirs.

Nathusius’ pipistrelles feed on larger insects than the other two species and often fly slightly higher. Their growing presence in Scotland is an area of active research, and public sightings contribute valuable information to national monitoring schemes.

Why pipistrelles are important

Pipistrelles eat large numbers of insects each night. In some areas, a single bat can consume thousands of midges in just a few hours. This helps maintain ecological balance and supports healthy ecosystems.

Because pipistrelles are widespread and often live close to people, they play a major role in helping the public engage with bat conservation.

How to support pipistrelles

People can help pipistrelles by:

• reducing unnecessary outdoor lighting

• planting insect-friendly gardens

• keeping mature trees and hedges when possible

• reporting unusual bat behaviour to trusted organisations

Small changes around homes and communities create valuable habitats for these bats and the insects they depend on.

A familiar part of Scotland’s evenings

Whether flying above gardens, along woodland edges, or across stretches of water, pipistrelles are a familiar and welcome part of Scotland’s summer evenings. Learning more about these species helps us understand their needs and the simple steps we can take to protect them.

References

Bat Conservation Trust 2023. Pipistrelle Species Information. Bat Conservation Trust, London.
NatureScot 2020. Bats: Licensing and Guidance. NatureScot, Inverness.
Russ, J. 2012. British Bat Calls: A Guide to Species Identification. Pelagic Publishing, Exeter.