The common pipistrelle is one of the commonest British bats, weighing around 5 grams (same as a 20p piece). A single pipistrelle can eat thousands of tiny insects in just one night! They are the species you are most likely to see around your garden.
The scientific name of the common pipistrelle is Pipistrellus pipistrellus.
With its wings folded, the common pipistrelle is small enough to fit inside a matchbox.
Common pipistrelles feed in a wide range of habitats comprising woodland, hedgerows, grassland, farmland, suburban and also urban areas. They generally emerge from their roost around 20 minutes after sunset and fly 2-10m above ground level searching for their insect prey, which they catch and eat on the wing by ‘aerial hawking’.
Summer roosts of common pipistrelles are usually found in roofs and in crevices around the outside of buildings. They can be found behind hanging tiles, soffit and barge or eaves boarding, between roofing felt and roof tiles or in cavity walls.
Common pipistrelle is also known to roost in tree holes and crevices, and also in bat boxes. Summer roosts support smaller colonies than soprano pipistrelles, with numbers averaging around 75 bats. Common pipistrelle maternity colonies are more likely to move between roost sites than those of soprano pipistrelles.
In winter, common pipistrelles are found singly or in small numbers in crevices of buildings and trees, and also in bat boxes. They are often found in relatively exposed locations and rarely underground.
The common pipistrelle is widely distributed across the UK and its distribution appears to extend further north than that of soprano pipistrelle.
All bat species found in Scotland are classed as European protected species. They receive full protection under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended).
Photo: © Hugh Clark
Action Needed
- Encourage the use of bat boxes to create roost sites.
- Support creation of habitat such as woodland or water which is rich in insect life.
- Promote the monitoring of bats so we can have a better knowledge and understand of their distribution, as well as their roosting and foraging habits in Scotland.
- Ensure the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy is fully implemented.
Threats
Populations of pipistrelles have declined dramatically in the last 50 to 100 years. This is at least partly as a result of modern agricultural practices, although common pipistrelle populations have started showing signs of recovery in recent years. Their reliance on buildings for roosting makes them vulnerable to building renovations, exclusion and toxic remedial timber treatment chemicals. Other major threats for this species are the decline in insects, and negative publicity.
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