Bats in London

For over twenty years The London Bat Group has been working to protect the bats of London. Through its website, training, surveys and exclusive Bat events, they've been campaigning to protect these furry critters throughout the City of London.

They regularly:

Campaign to increase the management of Bats in many of London's open spaces.
Monitor the population of London's Bats.
Train people to help Bats.
Create awareness and knowledge of Bats by running Bat events which include walks and talks.

You can help support The London Bat Group by joining them via their website at LondonBats.org. Membership fees are very reasonably priced and well within most people's budgets.

The Bats listed here are the species of Bats most likely to be found in London. More details about each type of Bat can be found on The London Bat Group's website.

Pipistrelle: Pipistrellus sp.

The Pipistrelle has a wing span of 19 to 25cm. They weigh about 6gms. This makes them UK's smallest but most common species of Bat. They are usually found feeding in small local parks that contain ponds, lakes or waterways. They feed on midges. They roost in modern houses using the clean cavities found at the edges of the roofs.

Daubenton's: Myotis daubentonii

The Daubenton's bat can be found where there are large ponds, lakes, rivers and canals. Their wingspan is between 24 and 27cm and they weigh in at between 7 to 12gm. They roost in trees and feed on midges and small flies.

Noctule: Nyctalus noctula

The Noctule has a wingspan of between 32 and 40cm and they weigh approx. 18 to 40gm. The roost in trees and will fly great distances in order to feed over lakes and rivers.

Soprano Pipistrelle Bat, Aylesbury, England Photographic Print
Stocker, Les

Buy at AllPosters.com

Bats can be found in many places throughout London and here is a short list of some of these places.

Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens
Regent's Park
St James's Park
Hampstead Heath and Highgate Ponds
Fryent Country Park
Hawkwood Estate, Petts Wood

Fact One
Bats are more closely related to us then they are to mice.

Bats have been serious decline in recent years due to intensive agriculture, damage to their roosts and poor management of parks and open spaces. The London Bat Group hope to raise awareness of this problem and to improve the overall management of London's parks.

Fact Two
Bats are not blind.

Bats are an excellent way to monitor the quality of our environment and their present decline is a strong indicator of how and why this needs immediate improvement.

Fact Three
Bats can live up to 30 years.

There are seventeen species of Bats in the UK and over half breed in London.

To find more about Bats in general, please visit some of these links.

Bat Conservation Trust
'The Bat Conservation Trust was formed in 1990 as an umbrella organisation for the rapidly growing network of bat groups, providing support, training and advice. BCT now acts as the national voice for bat conservation.'

The Bats of Britain
Information and images of the different species of Bat found across the UK.

BATS
BATS - an illustrated guide to bats in the British Isles.