Bat species in BC
There are 15 species of bats in BC (16 if you count the one record of a Big Free-tailed bat (Nyctinomops macrotis) that washed up in New Westminster in 1938), but not all of them occur in all parts of the Province. There is still a great deal to learn about bats in British Columbia, and with increased survey effort and better identification tools, our understanding of bat species distribution may change.
There are also accidental records of the Mexican free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) and the Canyon Bat (Parastrellus hesperus) in BC.
Name | Scientific Name | Status | BC Ministry of Environment Region | |||||||||
Vancouver Island | Lower Mainland | Sunshine Coast | Thompson | Kootenay | Cariboo | Skeena | Omineca | Okanagan | Peace | |||
Spotted Bat | Euderma maculatum | SC1; Blue (BC) |
|
|
| x |
| x |
|
| x |
|
Pallid Bat | Antrozous pallidus | T1; Red (BC) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| x |
|
Townsend’s Big-eared Bat | Corynorhinus townsendii | Blue (BC) | x | x | x | x | x | x |
|
| x |
|
Hoary Bat | Lasiurus cinereus | Not at risk | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Eastern Red Bat | Lasiurus borealis | Unknown |
|
|
|
| ? |
|
|
| x | x |
Silver-haired Bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | Not at risk | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | Not at risk | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Yuma Myotis | Myotis yumanensis | Blue (BC) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| x |
|
Californian Myotis | Myotis californicus | Not at risk | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
| x |
|
Western Small-footed Myotis | Myotis ciliolabrum | Blue (BC) |
|
|
| x | x | x |
|
| x |
|
Northern Myotis | Myotis septentrionalis | E1; Blue (BC) |
|
|
|
| x | x | x | x |
| x |
Long-legged Myotis | Myotis volans | Not at risk | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Little Brown Myotis | Myotis lucifugus | E1; Blue (BC) | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Fringed Myotis | Myotis thysanodes | Blue (BC) | ? | ? | ? | x | x | x |
|
| x |
|
Long-eared Myotis | Myotis evotis | Not at risk | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Canyon bat | Parastrellus hesperus | Accidental |
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|
|
|
|
|
|
| (x)2 |
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Mexican Free-tailed Bat | Tadarida brasiliensis | Accidental | (x)2 | (x)2 | (x)2 |
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|
|
|
|
1 SARA Listing (federal): E (Endangered), T (Threatened), SC (Special Concern)
2 Acoustic records only; currently
Known Roosting Preferences
Bats of British Columbia (BC) in summer and winter (modified from Craig and Holroyd 2004).
Common Name | Summer Roosts | Winter Roosts | ||
Buildings | Bat House User | Natural roosts | ||
Spotted Bat |
|
| Cliffs | Cliffs, mines |
Pallid Bat | Potentially |
| Cliffs, rock outcrops, snags, build- ings, mines, orchard | Rock crevices? |
Townsend’s Big-eared Bat | Common | Yes, big ones! | Cliffs, caves, buildings, mines | Mines, caves, rock crevices |
Hoary Bat |
|
| Snags, trees | Migrates |
Eastern Red Bat |
|
| Trees | Migrates |
Silver-haired Bat |
|
| Trees, snags (cottonwoods) | Snags, mines, buildings, wood piles, rock piles |
Big Brown Bat | Common | Yes | Snags, cliffs, rock crevices | Buildings, mines |
Yuma Myotis | Common | Yes | Snags, rock crevices, mines, bridges | Mines |
Californian Myotis | Occasional | Yes | Snags, mines, bridges, rock out- crops & crevices | Buildings, mines, caves, rock crevices |
Western Small-footed Myotis | Occasional |
| Cliffs, rock crevices, mines, | Mines, cliff crevices |
Northern Myotis | Rarely |
| Snags | Mines |
Long-legged Myotis | Occasional |
| Cliffs, rock crevices, snags, stumps | Mines, caves, rock crevices |
Little Brown Myotis | Common | Yes | Snags, rock crevices, cliffs, mines | Mines, caves, rock crevices |
Fringed Myotis | Occasional |
| Mines, cliffs, rock crevices, snags | Mines |
Long-eared Myotis | Occasional | Yes | Cliffs, snags, stumps, talus slopes, rock outcrops, crevices, mines | Mines, buildings |
Canyon Bat1 |
|
| Cliffs, rock crevices | Rock crevices, caves? |
Mexican Free-tailed Bat1 | Common | Yes | Trees, Caves | Migrates? |
Modified from: Craig,V. J., and S. L. Holroyd. 2004. Bat Conservation Strategy for B.C. and Alberta. Draft. Prepared for B.C. Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. 112 pp. Bat roost information from Barclay & Brigham 2001, Fenton et al. 2002, Holloway & Barclay 2001, Nagorsen & Brigham 1993, Rabe et al. 1998, Rambaldini 2003, Rasheed & Holroyd 1995, Sarell & Luoma 1994; Vonhof & Barclay 1997.
*Silver-haired bats are considered ‘migratory hibernators’ which means that local populations may make significant flights further south before hibernating. However, northern populations may move into southern parts of the province to hibernate.
Additional Resources:
An excellent reference book for the bats of BC is: Nagorsen, David W. and R. Mark Brigham. 1995. Bats of British Columbia. Royal British Columbia Museum Handbook, Victoria, BC.
For more information on the bats of BC see: