Common Pipistrelle Bat Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Small and widespread, the common pipistrelle is a fluttery night-flyer identifiable by its brown fur, small size and echolocation calls.

Conservation status in Norfolk

Bats and their roosts are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended), consequently it is an offence to damage, destroy or block access to a bat roost. It is also an offence to kill, injure, disturb or handle a bat without a licence.

Click to see the Biodiversity Action Plan Species for this species

How to help

As bats feed on insects, there are various things you can do in your garden to ensure a plentiful supply of food. You can plant a variety of plants, flowers and hedges (particularly wild flowers and high night scented flowers) and also build a pond.

Adopt me today and help ensure my future!

Elizabeth Dack

Information on the Common Pipistrelle Bat

How to recognise

The pipistrelle is Britain’s smallest bat and is the most common. There are in fact three different species: the brown and the bandit (also know as the common and the soprano) which can be differentiated by the frequency of their echolocation calls. There is also a nathusius’s Pipistrelle which is a relative newcomer to Britain.

Where to see

Pipistrelles are relatively common throughout Britain, and are often seen in gardens and suburban areas and are commonly found roosting in residential areas. They can be found feeding over water, open woodland and along hedgerows. Pipistrelles can be found at NWT Foxley Wood, NWT Hickling Broad and NWT Thompson Common.

When to see

They can be seen easily in the spring and summer at dusk, and throughout the year, although they are rarely seen during the winter as they hibernate from October until March.

Did you know?

A single Pipistrelle Bat can eat up to 3000 insects in one night.

Finding out more

The Bat Conservation Trust

In this section