Noctule
Noctule
Mammal
The Noctule is one of Britain's biggest bats — a powerful, golden-brown flier that hunts high in the open sky, often appearing before the sun has even set. Watch for its fast, straight flight and sudden, dramatic dives after insects.
💡 Fun Facts
- The Noctule is one of Britain's biggest bats, and it hunts higher than almost any other — swooping through the open sky far above the treetops, then folding its wings for a sudden, breathtaking power-dive onto an insect.
- It is one of the very first bats to appear each evening, often flying out before the sun has even set — so on a bright summer evening it is the bat you can watch against a glowing sky.
- Its squeaks are so low and loud — a 'chip-chop' sound — that some lucky people can actually hear a Noctule with their own ears, which is impossible with most bats.
- Noctules make their homes in old holes in trees, like abandoned woodpecker holes, so they need old, gnarled woodland to thrive.
🔍 How to spot it
- Size
- One of the UK's largest bats — wingspan up to 40 cm and weighing up to 40 g; big and broad against the sky.
- Markings
- Sleek, glossy golden-brown fur, with a darker face and wings — and no 'mask'.
- Features
- Short, rounded ears and a distinctive short, mushroom-shaped flap inside the ear; and no strange flap on its nose (some bats, like the horseshoe bats, have one).
- Behaviour
- Comes out very early — often before sunset — and flies high, fast and straight, with sudden steep dives onto insects.
- Where & when
- In the open sky above woodland, parkland, pasture and water across much of Britain; roosts in holes in old trees.
- Easily confused with
- The serotine is a similar size but flies lower and slower with a more fluttering flight; experts also look for the Noctule's mushroom-shaped ear-flap. Leisler's bat is a smaller cousin.
📅 Through the Year
- Hibernation:November to March
- Active:April to October
- Maternity/Breeding:June to July
Name Story
Nyctalus noctula
means “little creature of the night”
What does its name mean?
- nyx / nyktos — nightGreek
- noctula — little night-oneLatin (from nox, 'night')
This bat is named 'night' twice over — once in Greek and once in Latin! Nyctalus comes from the Greek for 'night', and noctula is Latin for 'little night-one'. A fine name for a bat that takes to the sky after dark.
📄 Educational Handout Available
Download the printable infographic: Bat Life Cycle
📄 Educational Handout Available
Download the printable infographic: How Bats Hunt & Eat
📄 Educational Handout Available
Download the printable infographic: Where Bats Live