The bats are back, flapping frantically in the evening sky, their chaotic flight a stark contrast to the elegant swifts, for example, each bat’s zigzagging reflecting the exact path of the insects they hunt.
Despite their erratic movements, bats are remarkable. In autumn, female bats mate but hold onto the sperm, waiting until spring to fertilise their eggs. As winter approaches, they spend weeks fattening up before hibernating from late October to March, ready to start the cycle anew. A pregnant female bat might be among those frantic flyers, soon to give birth upside down to a tiny, blind pup. The maternal bats find warm roosts to nurse their young, feeding them milk for about a month until they’re ready to take to the air.
August is a crucial time for the young bats as they learn essential survival skills.
Bats have captivated evolutionary biologists for centuries with their unique adaptations. As the only mammals capable of true flight, they navigate the night skies with remarkable agility, thanks to their elongated fingers and wing membranes. Bats also possess an extraordinary ability to ‘see’ in the dark using echolocation, allowing them to precisely track and capture insect prey. This skill has enabled them to dominate the nocturnal insect-eating niche, effectively taking over when daytime insectivores like swifts and swallows retire for the night. They are also known to be social creatures, sharing food and maintaining friendships.
They are a protected species. Under the Wildlife Act 1976 (2000) it is an offence to intentionally kill, disturb, handle, sell or offer for sale a bat without a licence.
Bats also play a vital ecological role by controlling insect populations, and we can support them by managing our environments thoughtfully. Encouraging native vegetation, reducing pesticide use, and preserving roosting habitats like ivy-clad trees can enhance the habitats on which bats and many other species rely. However, increased artificial lighting and intensive agriculture pose significant threats to bat populations, disrupting their natural behaviours and habitats.
To effectively conserve Irish bats, it’s crucial to understand the status of their populations – whether they are growing, shrinking, or remaining stable. Regular monitoring is essential to detect any trends in population changes, which are vital for shaping conservation policies and management strategies both nationally and across the EU.
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Even though the greatest diversity of bats is found in warmer, equatorial regions, Ireland hosts several species of its own. All Irish bats are insectivores, hunting with echolocation and preferring habitats near rivers, woodlands, or grasslands.
Among the nine confirmed species in Ireland, the Lesser Horseshoe Bat stands out. It’s the only Rhinolophidae family member in Ireland, found mainly in six counties along the frost-resistant western Atlantic coast. This species, vital on a global scale due to its dramatic decline and local extinctions in Europe, hangs upside-down with wings wrapped around its body and has a distinctive horseshoe-shaped flap of skin around its nostrils.
The Lesser Horseshoe Bat roosts in old buildings and hibernates in caves, mines, and cellars, usually foraging in dense vegetation near water. To protect this important species, the Vincent Wildlife Trust has established bat reserves across Ireland. In addition, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, along with the Vincent Wildlife Trust, has released a Species Action Plan (SAP) for 2022-2026 to ensure its preservation.
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In Ireland, old superstitions linger, like the belief that a bat entering a house heralds bad fortune or that one tangled in a woman’s hair dooms her to eternal damnation. Bats, more commonly known as ialtóg in Irish, are even often referred to as “bás dorcha” (dark death) or “sciathán leathair” (leather wing).
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To date Green Sod Ireland has been gifted in excess of 100 acres by visionary individuals and communities, in Counties Galway, Cork, Carlow, Donegal, Mayo and Cavan. Gifted land is first and foremost appraised by our ecologists who complete an initial ecology report with findings and recommendations. The diversity of land across Ireland means that individual management plans are created to address the specific needs of each. The local community participate in the protection of land and are invited to engage in our ecological education initiatives. They are an integral part of holding this land in trust together. Find out more here.
References :
Murray, A. (2023, August 5). Anja Murray: ‘Hang out’ with bats — they’re fascinating creatures. Irish Examiner. https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/outdoors/arid-41195365.html
Foley, E. T. a. N. (2015, June 18). Why we love batty summer nights! Irish Independent. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/education/why-we-love-batty-summer-nights/31303861.html
Ferguson, A. (2024, July 6). Bats have complex social lives, University of Chester researchers say. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gweg7n5z4o
McSweeney, E. (2024, April 13). Milder and shorter winters due to climate warming are forcing some bat species to change their ways. The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/2024/04/13/milder-and-shorter-winters-due-to-climate-warming-are-forcing-some-bat-species-to-change-their-ways/
Moore, K. (2024, May 13). Bats in Ireland. Cork Nature Network. https://corknaturenetwork.ie/our-nature-insights/bats-in-ireland/
Teagasc. (n.d.). Environment – Bats and their habitats – Teagasc | Agriculture and Food Development Authority. https://www.teagasc.ie/news–events/daily/environment/bats-and-their-habitats.php
Photos by Daniel Hargreaves / The Vincent Wildlife Trust (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3gweg7n5z4o) & Blickwinkel/Alamy Stock Photo (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/oct/21/country-diary-raiding-haunt-of-lesser-horseshoe-bat-1919)
