Brown long-eared bat
(Plecotus auratus)
Brown-long eared bats are a focus species for the Western bund habitat area at Waterbeach.
Discover: Brown long-eared bat
General information: These nocturnal bats are greyish-brown with enormous ears, almost as long as their bodies. They feed on flying insects in gardens and woodland, consuming smaller prey like midges mid-flight and taking large prey like moths to perches to eat upside-down.
Their large ears enable them to almost silently hunt their prey using echolocation. This is where they call loudly while flying and the returning echo gives the bat a sense of the world ahead of them, including the size and shape of insect prey.
Can you spot: Between April and October try looking for these bats as they fly out of their roost at sunset. They tend to be slower with a more erratic flight than other bats.
Did you know: Brown long-eared bats like to roost in tree holes or old barns and buildings in the summer, with females forming maternity roosts where they raise a single pup each. Over winter these bats hibernate in caves, tunnels and mines.
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