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Black Flying-fox (Pteropus alecto)

The Black Flying-fox is a large fruit bat that roosts by day in tree camps and flies at night to feed on blossom, pollen and fruit. It occurs across northern and eastern Australia, including urban and developed areas, so works can affect roosts, dependent young and feeding habitat. It is listed as least concern in Australia, but Queensland breeding places used by this colonial breeder receive additional protection and management requirements.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Colonial breeder. Least concern in Queensland, but it breeds in colonies, so tampering with a breeding place needs a high risk species management program rather than the low risk program.

Breeding season

Black flying foxes mate in autumn, with mating commonly recorded in March and April. Births occur from late winter to spring, generally September to November, and timing may vary between regions and years with food supply and camp conditions.

Breeding mode: Colonial, live-bearing mammal. Mating occurs in shared daytime camps, which may also function as maternity and crèche sites.

Litter size: One pup, usually each year.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Young and weaning: Pups are carried by the mother for the first 3 to 4 weeks, then left in crèche groups while the mother feeds. Young can fly at about 3 months and remain dependent until late March.

Age at maturity: Females generally mature at 2 to 3 years. Males generally mature in their third year.

Breeding places: Breeding occurs in daytime camps or colonies, usually in trees near water and food. Camps may be permanent, seasonal or temporary, and can contain thousands to hundreds of thousands of flying foxes.

Recognising an active breeding place: Look for an occupied daytime camp with adults carrying pups, pups left in crèche groups, repeated mother and young interactions, and concentrated roosting in dense foliage.

Breeding timing can shift between regions and years, particularly when food availability changes, and mixed species camps may not follow exactly the same pattern.

  • Mating: Mating is recorded in autumn, with March and April the main mating months.
  • Births and newborn pups: Births occur from late winter to spring, with records spanning September to November and late October.
  • Dependent young and crèche groups: Young are carried at first, then left in crèche groups while mothers forage, and remain dependent until late March.
  • Colony and camp activity: Occupied camps are used for daytime roosting, social activity, mating and raising young throughout the year, although numbers and locations can change.
  • Foraging and camp shifts: Nightly foraging and movement between camps occur year round and respond mainly to flowering, fruiting and local food supply.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is September to March, when camps may contain newborn or dependent young, but occupied colonies require care and assessment in every month.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Black Flying-fox is a large bat with a dark appearance and bare lower legs. It is active at night and does not echolocate like microbats, so visual observations, camp activity and calls are more useful than ultrasonic detectors.

The body is almost completely black, with a slight rusty red or reddish brown collar on the back of the neck. Some animals have a light frosting of silvery grey on the belly and lighter fur around the eyes.

The lower legs and ankles are unfurred. Wing membranes are black. Adults average about 710 g, with reported adult weights of 600 to 900 g and a maximum of about 1 kg.

Body length: About 26 cm

Wingspan: Up to 1 m

Identification: Calls and similar species

Black Flying-foxes are noisy in camps. Expect squabbling, chattering, screeching and other high pitched calls, especially when animals are crowded or competing for food. They navigate by sight and smell and do not echolocate.

The species commonly shares camps with other flying-foxes. Identification should be checked carefully where several species are present.

  • Grey-headed Flying-foxes have a greyer head, hairy legs and a more obvious rusty collar.
  • Little Red Flying-foxes are smaller, reddish brown and usually weigh about 300 to 600 g.
  • Spectacled Flying-foxes may occur with Black Flying-foxes in northern Australia.

Identification: Field signs

Look for animals hanging head down from branches, concentrated feeding damage below flowering or fruiting trees, and large numbers of bats leaving at dusk or returning around dawn.

Roost trees may have droppings, urine staining, broken foliage and a strong musky odour. These signs can accumulate beneath regularly used branches. Nests and tree hollows are not used as the defining shelter for this species, so the absence of nests does not rule out a roost.

  • Fresh droppings and wet stains beneath branches suggest recent use.
  • Persistent odour, noise and damaged foliage suggest regular or concentrated use.
  • Daytime activity, dependent young and mothers carrying pups indicate a breeding camp.

Distribution: Range in Australia

The Black Flying-fox is mainly a coastal and near coastal species, but it can travel inland where permanent water and food are available. Its range is changing in some areas, and individuals may appear well south of the main tropical and subtropical range.

The Australian range extends from Shark Bay in Western Australia through northern Australia and eastern Queensland to northern New South Wales. The species has extended south along the New South Wales coast, with records reaching the Bellinger River, Lismore and areas south of Port Macquarie.

The species is mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Records in Victoria are uncommon and may be vagrant.

  • Northern and near coastal Western Australia
  • Northern Territory
  • Coastal and near coastal Queensland
  • Northern and coastal New South Wales
  • Occasional records in Victoria

Distribution: Overseas range

The Black Flying-fox also occurs in New Guinea and Indonesia.

Distribution: Movement across the range

Movement is strongly influenced by flowering and fruiting resources. Animals may shift between camps, remain at a site for part of the year, or form temporary camps close to a concentrated food supply.

A flying-fox seen at a work site may be part of a wider network of camps. Do not assume that a vacant camp has been abandoned permanently.

  • Routine night foraging commonly reaches 30 to 50 km from a camp.
  • Individuals may travel a few hundred kilometres when moving between camps.

Habitat: Natural habitat

Look for Black Flying-fox habitat wherever mature or semi mature trees provide hanging branches and nearby food. Camps can occur in natural remnants, working landscapes, parks and highly urbanised areas.

Typical habitat includes mangrove islands and estuaries, Melaleuca swamps, rainforest, coastal subtropical rainforest, swamp forest and eucalypt woodland. Sites beside creeks, rivers and other waterways are commonly used.

Retain mature trees and connected vegetation where possible. A site can remain useful even if it is small, fragmented or surrounded by development.

  • Mangroves and tidal waterways
  • Paperbark and Melaleuca swamps
  • Rainforest and vine thickets
  • Eucalypt and dry sclerophyll forest
  • Vegetated creek lines and river margins

Habitat: Urban and modified habitat

Camps may occur in formal parks, botanic gardens, scattered trees, school grounds, golf courses, industrial areas, city centres and urban rural fringes. Roost trees can be native or introduced.

Potential camp areas are often near water and food trees. Some camps are over one hectare, but smaller temporary camps also occur.

  • Check remnant vegetation and regrowth, not only mapped bushland.
  • Inspect tall trees with dense foliage near water.
  • Include private land, road reserves and developed land in the search area.

Habitat: Site inspection

During a pre clearing inspection, search for roosting bats, old roost trees, droppings, staining, odour, damaged foliage and repeated flight paths at dusk. Inspect nearby flowering and fruiting trees as well as the proposed disturbance footprint.

Use current observations and local records together. Camp use can change quickly as food availability changes.

Foraging habitat: Food plants

Black Flying-foxes leave camps at dusk and may travel widely to feed. Works can affect feeding habitat even when no camp occurs inside the project boundary.

Important food includes blossom, nectar, pollen and fruit from eucalypts, Corymbia, paperbarks, Lophostemon, figs, lilly-pillies, bottlebrushes and grevilleas. Mangoes and other cultivated fruit may also be used.

Urban trees, orchards, gardens and isolated flowering trees can provide useful food when native resources are scarce.

  • Eucalyptus and Corymbia
  • Melaleuca and Lophostemon
  • Ficus and Syzygium
  • Callistemon and Grevillea
  • Native and cultivated fruit trees

Foraging habitat: Features to retain

Prioritise mature flowering trees, connected woodland, rainforest patches, riparian vegetation and groups of trees between camps and feeding areas. A small group of trees may form part of a much larger nightly foraging route.

The main nocturnal foraging area is often within 25 km of a roost, although longer movements occur.

  • Avoid unnecessary removal of mature canopy trees.
  • Stage pruning outside major flowering periods where practicable.
  • Use wildlife friendly netting on fruit trees. Loose or poorly fitted netting can entangle flying-foxes.

Foraging habitat: Field observations

Listen for noisy activity high in flowering or fruiting trees. Squabbling may indicate competition for eucalypt blossom or ripening fruit. Observe from a safe distance and avoid disturbing feeding animals at night.

Record the tree species, flowering or fruiting condition, number of animals and direction of travel. These observations can help explain camp use and construction impacts.

Breeding habitat: Breeding cycle

Black Flying-foxes breed in camps and shared maternity roosts rather than in nests or hollows. A camp can contain adults, mothers, pups and crèche groups, so disturbance can affect a large part of the local population at once.

Mating occurs in autumn. A female generally gives birth to one pup each year, with births reported from late winter to spring. In Queensland settings, births are commonly described as occurring from September to November.

A pup is carried by its mother for the first three to four weeks while she feeds. Young are then left in crèche groups in the camp while mothers forage. Young can fly at about three months and remain closely associated with their mothers for several months.

  • Females generally mature in their second year.
  • Males generally mature in their third year.
  • Females are reported to be ready to breed at about 2 to 3 years.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places on a work site

A breeding place may look like an ordinary tree camp, with bats hanging in dense groups through the canopy. Look for mothers carrying pups, pups clinging to adults, crèche groups, juveniles making short flights and repeated use of the same shaded trees.

Do not rely on a single daytime visit. Monitor at different times and review recent local records before clearing, tree works or construction near a camp.

  • Dependent pups attached to mothers
  • Groups of young left in branches during the night
  • Juveniles practising short flights
  • Repeated use of shaded canopy trees
  • High daytime noise and concentrated occupancy

Breeding habitat: Protection during breeding

Black Flying-foxes are particularly sensitive to disturbance during late pregnancy, when young are dependent and before young fly strongly. Disturbance can cause abortion or separation of mothers and young.

In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. Obtain project specific advice before work starts.

  • Plan noisy or ground disturbing work away from the birthing and crèche period where practicable.
  • Use an ecologist or appropriately authorised wildlife professional to assess active breeding places.
  • Stop and reassess if dependent young or heat stressed animals are found.

Sheltering habitat: Roost structure

The Black Flying-fox shelters during the day in tree camps. Camps may be permanent, seasonal, temporary or historically used, and animals may shift between several sites as food and weather conditions change.

Look for dense foliage and branches strong enough for animals to hang from. Roost trees range from low mangroves to tall trees and may include native or introduced species.

Camps are often near water, on relatively level ground and in trees more than 5 m tall. These features are useful indicators, but many suitable looking places are not occupied.

  • Mangrove and estuary vegetation
  • Melaleuca and swamp forest
  • Rainforest and riparian trees
  • Tall eucalypts and urban canopy trees
  • Dense understorey and shaded patches

Sheltering habitat: Camp use

Some camps are occupied year round. Others form when food is scarce elsewhere or when a local food supply becomes available. Animals may move around within a camp, and a camp can be occupied one year and empty the next.

Roost occupancy can range from a handful of individuals to many tens of thousands, with occasional colonies of hundreds of thousands across flying-fox species.

  • Check both current and historical camp locations.
  • Treat recently vacant camps as potentially reusable.
  • Map the full area of occupied and previously occupied trees.

Sheltering habitat: Work planning near roosts

Maintain a practical buffer between works and occupied trees. The appropriate distance depends on the activity, noise, machinery, vegetation and camp location, so it should be set by a qualified ecologist and the relevant regulator.

In Queensland, roost management is regulated under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 and relevant flying-fox roost management codes. Never work in a camp at night or on hot days. Monitor for heat stress when temperatures reach 38 degrees or more.

  • Schedule work outside the birthing and crèche period where possible.
  • Do not disperse or destroy a roost when flying-foxes have dependent young.
  • Do not disperse or destroy a roost during a heat stress event.
  • Use spotters, staged works and stop work triggers where disturbance cannot be avoided.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony looks like

Colonies are shared breeding and roosting places where many animals gather closely in trees. They need special care because one camp may contain a large share of the local population, several flying-fox species and dependent young at the same time.

A colony or maternity roost usually consists of groups of bats hanging from branches through dense foliage. Occupancy may extend across several trees or several hectares, and the active area can shift within the site.

Camps can contain thousands to tens of thousands of animals and occasionally hundreds of thousands. Black Flying-foxes commonly share camps with Grey-headed and Little Red Flying-foxes.

  • Dense clusters of hanging bats
  • Heavy daytime noise and movement
  • Strong odour and droppings below roost trees
  • Multiple occupied tree species or patches
  • Bats arriving at dawn and leaving at dusk

Colonies and breeding places: Site fidelity and camp change

Some individuals return to the same camp each year, but camp use is not fixed. Animals may move between camps over a few days, and local food supply can cause a camp to expand, contract, split or become temporarily vacant.

A long established camp may move within its site as foliage is damaged or food conditions change. Retain alternative roost trees and connected vegetation where possible.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

An active breeding place has current daytime occupancy and signs of reproduction. Look for pups attached to mothers, crèche groups, juveniles making short flights and adults returning repeatedly to the same canopy.

Use repeated observations rather than one inspection. Monitor during the breeding period and record species, numbers, occupied trees, dependent young, weather and any signs of heat stress.

  • Pups carried by mothers
  • Young left in crèche groups
  • Juveniles flying short distances
  • Mothers returning to occupied branches
  • High concentration of adults and young

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

Crowding, noise, smoke, machinery and vegetation removal can cause animals to abandon young, collide with structures or move into unsafe areas. Heat stress can cause rapid mortality in dense camps.

Queensland councils have an as of right authority for roosts inside urban flying-fox management areas. Other proponents need a flying-fox roost management permit. Check the current Queensland requirements before any disturbance, dispersal or destruction.

  • Work outside the birthing and crèche period.
  • Keep people and machinery out of the camp at night.
  • Avoid work on days of 38 degrees or more.
  • Monitor for heat stress and stop work if animals show distress.
  • Use the relevant high risk species management program for a Queensland colonial breeder breeding place.

Threats: Clearing and fragmentation

Development can affect Black Flying-foxes through direct loss of roost trees, disturbance and loss of feeding habitat. Planning should address both the camp and the wider landscape used each night.

Clearing rainforest, swamp forest, mangroves, riparian vegetation and mature flowering trees can remove roosts and feeding resources. Fragmentation can increase travel distances and leave camps exposed to heat, wind and conflict.

Retain live habitat trees, canopy links and vegetation around waterways. Protect known camps and assess historical camps before clearing.

  • Avoid clearing occupied or historically used camp trees.
  • Stage clearing away from active breeding periods.
  • Rehabilitate and reconnect lowland rainforest, swamp forest and riparian vegetation.

Threats: Disturbance and attempted dispersal

Noise, lighting, machinery, smoke, vegetation removal and repeated human presence can disturb a camp. Unplanned dispersal may move animals into roads, powerlines, buildings or other unsuitable locations.

Do not attempt to move a camp without approvals, a documented management plan and specialist oversight. Dispersal or destruction is not allowed in Queensland when animals have dependent young or during heat stress events.

  • Do not work in a camp at night.
  • Do not work on hot days.
  • Use exclusion zones and staged works.
  • Maintain a clear stop work process for dependent young, injured animals or heat stress.

Threats: Heat stress and extreme weather

Dense camps can be affected by hot weather, especially when animals have limited shade or water. Monitor weather forecasts and camp behaviour during periods when temperatures reach 38 degrees or more.

Signs may include wing fanning, agitation, crawling or falling from branches, panting, weakness and dead or injured animals. Stop work, keep people out of the camp and contact the relevant wildlife and regulatory authorities.

Threats: Human infrastructure and injury

Flying-foxes can be injured by barbed wire, fruit netting, powerlines, vehicles, domestic animals and construction activities. Poorly fitted netting is a particular risk near orchards and gardens.

Make fences more visible with suitable markers, use wildlife friendly netting and cover or relocate hazards where practicable. Do not handle a flying-fox unless appropriately trained, vaccinated and authorised. Bites and scratches require immediate wound flushing and medical attention because Australian bat lyssavirus can be fatal.

  • Use high visibility markers on barbed wire.
  • Keep domestic animals away from camps and injured bats.
  • Use experienced wildlife carers or veterinarians for rescue and assessment.
  • Report injured animals and suspected illegal culling or harassment.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Black flying-foxes are conspicuous when roosting, but camp use can change quickly with food availability. Survey the trees, nearby waterways and connected feeding habitat, and repeat observations when the site may support a colony or maternity camp.

Check current flying-fox records, known camps, roost history, vegetation mapping, waterways and nearby flowering or fruiting resources before visiting the site.

Assess habitat within the wider feeding area. Flying-foxes commonly forage within 25 km of a roost, and may travel 30 to 50 km in a night. They can also move several hundred kilometres between camps when food changes.

Treat a site as potentially connected to other camps. Camps may be permanent, seasonal, occasional or historically occupied, and the same individual may return to a camp in a later year.

  • Map tall emergent trees, dense understorey, mangroves, paperbark swamps, rainforest, eucalypt forest, urban forest and trees beside water.
  • Search council, state and local flying-fox camp records before planning clearing or construction.
  • Check whether the action could affect other protected species, threatened ecological communities or a matter of national environmental significance. Refer the action under the EPBC Act if required.

Survey methodology: 2. Camp and colony survey

Inspect suitable trees during daylight for clustered bats, hanging animals, damaged foliage, droppings, noise and repeated use of the same trees. Camps can contain a handful of animals or many tens of thousands, and flying-fox colonies may reach hundreds of thousands.

Survey at dusk to record emergence, direction of travel and the trees used. A dawn survey can confirm return movements and identify animals left in the camp.

Use binoculars and, where suitable, thermal equipment to improve detection. Do not enter a camp at night. Keep observers outside the roost and avoid disturbing the animals.

  • Record the camp boundary, occupied trees, estimated numbers, species present and any mixed colony with grey-headed or little red flying-foxes.
  • Record the number of dependent young, creche groups, pregnant or lactating females, injured animals and dead animals where these can be identified safely.
  • Record nearby waterways, food trees, access tracks, houses, schools, powerlines, barbed wire and other hazards.

Survey methodology: 3. Timing, effort and conditions

Survey more than once where the site may be used by a colony. Include a daytime camp inspection and dusk emergence count, with a repeat visit when numbers or occupancy are uncertain.

Schedule observations in calm conditions with good visibility. Record rain, wind, temperature, recent heat, flowering and fruiting conditions, because food supply and heat can change camp use.

Give particular attention to the breeding period. Black flying-foxes mate in March and April in some areas, give birth mainly from September to November, and young may remain dependent until late March. Timing varies by location and food conditions.

  • Do not conduct a camp survey at night or on days of heat stress. Treat days of 38 degrees Celsius or more as a heat stress risk and monitor the camp from outside.
  • Record date, start and finish time, weather, temperature, observer names, vantage points, equipment, survey duration, visibility and any access limitations.
  • Describe uncertainty clearly where dense foliage, mixed species or changing camp use prevents a reliable count.

Survey methodology: 4. Active breeding place assessment

A breeding place may look like a normal daytime camp. Look for mothers carrying pups, young left in creche groups, juveniles beginning short flights, dependent young clustered in shaded trees and repeated use of a maternity area.

A camp can include thousands of bats and other flying-fox species. It may shift within the site as foliage is damaged or food and shade change. Treat all occupied camp trees as sensitive until the breeding status is assessed.

In Queensland, the Black flying-fox is a least concern colonial breeder. A place used by the species for breeding therefore requires the higher risk species management pathway when the action tampers with that breeding place.

  • Map the occupied area and the trees used by mothers, pups and creche groups.
  • Record whether young are attached to mothers, left in creches, flying short distances or flying independently.
  • Obtain advice from the relevant wildlife regulator before disturbing a suspected breeding place.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan works to avoid camps and feeding trees wherever practicable. Confirm the approval pathway before vegetation removal, access, noise, lighting or construction starts.

Confirm state, local government and Commonwealth requirements during project design. The Black flying-fox is least concern in Australia, but its colonies, breeding places and roosts can still be regulated.

In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. Do not rely on the low risk pathway for other least concern animals.

For flying-fox camps in Queensland, follow the applicable code for ecologically sustainable roost management and the code for low impact activities. Councils may have as-of-right authority for roosts inside urban flying-fox management areas. Other proponents require a flying-fox roost management permit.

  • Check whether an EPBC Act referral is needed because of another listed species, ecological community or nationally significant impact.
  • Obtain Queensland SMP approval, a flying-fox roost management permit or other state permits before starting regulated work.
  • Confirm wildlife rehabilitation, handling and transport requirements with the relevant state authority.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and timing

Retain occupied camp trees, connected canopy, tall emergent trees, dense understorey and nearby food trees where possible. Retain live habitat trees that provide roosting structure and protect access to water.

Do not disperse or destroy a Queensland roost while flying-foxes are breeding with dependent young. Do not undertake dispersal or roost destruction during a heat stress event.

Plan outside the birthing and creche period where practicable. Because timing varies between locations, use the pre-clearance survey and local advice rather than relying on a calendar alone.

  • Schedule high noise, tree removal and canopy works for periods when no dependent young are present, subject to approval conditions.
  • Avoid work during days of 38 degrees Celsius or more and monitor weather forecasts throughout the work period.
  • Avoid work at night. Flying-foxes leave at dusk to feed and return around dawn.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Buffers and exclusion controls

Set a site specific buffer around the occupied camp or breeding area in the approved management plan. The buffer must account for occupied trees, access routes, falling branches, noise, lighting, machinery and the movement of mothers and young.

Do not enter the camp to install exclusion devices or drive animals from trees. Exclusion is generally unsuitable for an active maternity camp and must not separate mothers from dependent young.

Use fencing, signage and mapped no-go areas to keep machinery, workers and the public away from the camp. Keep lighting directed away from roost trees and feeding routes.

  • Delineate the camp and buffer before mobilisation and check the limits each morning.
  • Prevent unauthorised access, vegetation trimming, pruning, tree removal, chemical use and storage of materials inside the no-go area.
  • Stop and reassess if the camp expands, animals move into the work area or breeding activity is detected.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Pre-clearance and crew induction

Complete a pre-clearance inspection immediately before works, with a qualified ecologist or authorised fauna spotter catcher. Recheck trees, foliage, ground hazards and nearby camp edges after any delay or change in conditions.

Induct every worker and subcontractor before entering the site. Explain the no-go area, stop-work authority, heat restrictions, disease risks and the injured animal pathway.

Only experienced, vaccinated and authorised people may handle flying-foxes. Unvaccinated workers must not touch them because Australian bat lyssavirus can be fatal.

  • Provide a site map showing the camp, breeding area, buffers, access routes, first aid point and wildlife contact numbers.
  • Check for barbed wire, fruit netting, powerlines, dogs, traffic and other hazards before work starts.
  • Record the pre-clearance inspection, weather, camp status, species, numbers and approval conditions.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use a slow, controlled work sequence and keep the fauna spotter catcher in charge of wildlife decisions. Stop work whenever the approved controls no longer protect the colony, dependent young or an individual animal.

Clear vegetation in stages, starting away from the camp and moving toward retained habitat only when the spotter catcher confirms that the next area is safe. Use hand methods near retained trees, nests, creches, roosts and visible animals.

Keep machinery out of the camp and approved buffer. Avoid sudden noise, smoke, floodlights, tree vibration and rapid canopy removal.

Reinspect each work area after clearing and before machinery moves in. A camp may shift during the day, particularly when food or shade is limited.

  • Brief the crew at the start of each shift and after any change in the work area.
  • Maintain a clear escape route to retained trees and do not isolate a roost tree by removing surrounding cover without approval.
  • Do not work in a camp at night or on hot days.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work decisions

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop all work immediately. The stop remains in place until the animal, camp or breeding place has been assessed and the supervisor confirms that the approved controls can be followed.

Stop for any dependent pup, creche group, injured flying-fox, fallen animal, active breeding place, occupied roost tree or unexpected colony movement.

Stop during heat stress. Monitor the camp from outside and do not enter, disperse or destroy the roost while animals are exposed to heat conditions.

  • Call the project ecologist and regulator when an active breeding place is found.
  • Expand the exclusion area if animals move toward machinery, roads, workers or unapproved trees.
  • Record the reason for the stop, time, location, animal status, weather and decision made.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and injured animals

Do not catch, move, release or transport a flying-fox unless the person is authorised and suitably trained. Keep workers and the public away from the animal and prevent dogs from approaching.

If an animal is injured, isolate the area and contact the approved wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority. Do not release an animal after a barbed-wire rescue without assessment, because wing damage may worsen and may need treatment.

Treat every bite or scratch as a potential exposure. Flush the wound with disinfectant and seek immediate medical attention.

  • Use a safe perimeter and shade without touching the animal, where this can be done without entering the camp or creating further disturbance.
  • Do not use untrained staff, improvised nets or direct handling.
  • Record species if known, location, injury, photographs where safe, handler, carer or veterinarian contacted, and the outcome.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Colony and breeding place response

If a colony or active breeding place is found inside the work area, stop work and retain the occupied trees. Do not disperse the camp or separate mothers from dependent young.

Obtain advice under the approved Queensland SMP or roost management permit, or from the relevant state authority elsewhere. Revise the work area, timing, buffers and method before restarting.

Mixed camps may contain black, grey-headed and little red flying-foxes. Check the species present and consider the legal status of all species before proceeding.

  • Mark the occupied area without entering the camp.
  • Maintain shade, water access and quiet conditions around the colony.
  • Do not remove roost trees, prune occupied branches or undertake canopy works until the revised controls are approved.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records

Keep a field log for every shift. Record camp occupancy, weather, heat, work locations, controls, sightings, stops, injuries, handling and communications.

Use photographs and mapped points where they can be taken without entering the camp or disturbing animals.

Report incidents and non-compliance promptly under the approval, permit and project environmental management plan.

  • Record start and finish times, personnel, equipment and work stage.
  • Record numbers as estimates and identify the counting method and vantage point.
  • Retain wildlife carer, veterinarian, regulator and council reference numbers with the incident record.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance check

Post-clearance checks confirm that no animals, dependent young or hazards remain in the work area. They also show whether the approved controls protected the colony and nearby habitat.

Inspect the cleared area, retained trees, ground, access tracks, fences and machinery exclusion zones before demobilisation. Use the spotter catcher or ecologist for the final check.

Search for grounded, trapped, injured or dead flying-foxes without entering an active camp or handling animals. Recheck canopy edges and any location where an animal was seen during works.

Leave retained roost trees undisturbed and confirm that buffers and signs remain in place.

  • Check for barbed wire, netting, exposed wires, open pits, chemicals, unstable branches and other hazards.
  • Confirm that no dependent young have been left behind after mothers have moved.
  • Photograph and map any animal, carcass, damage or unexpected camp movement.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Follow-up monitoring

Monitor the retained camp and adjacent habitat after works. Use daytime observations and dusk emergence counts from the same safe vantage points where possible.

Increase monitoring if the colony has shifted, foliage has been damaged, animals are repeatedly entering the work area or community impacts have changed.

Monitor heat stress during hot weather. Do not enter a camp or undertake disruptive work while animals are affected by heat.

  • Record occupancy, estimated numbers, occupied trees, dependent young, species mix and signs of stress.
  • Check whether animals are returning to retained trees and whether the camp is expanding into the work area.
  • Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval or management plan.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Animal outcomes and reporting

Track every rescued, treated, relocated or deceased animal to its final outcome. Use only approved wildlife carers, veterinarians and transport arrangements.

Submit required reports to the regulator, council, project manager and approval holder. Include survey results, incidents, stop-work events, permit conditions and corrective actions.

Report suspected illegal culling, harassment or unauthorised roost disturbance to the relevant authority.

  • Record the animal identification, condition, location, time, handler, authority, carer or veterinarian and outcome.
  • Provide maps, photographs, weather records and counts with the report.
  • Notify the regulator immediately where an active breeding place, mass injury, heat stress event or unauthorised disturbance has occurred.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review each stop-work event, injury, camp movement and near miss with the fauna team and site supervisor. Include worker observations and community reports where relevant.

Update the risk assessment and method statement before the next work stage. A repeated movement into the work area may require a larger buffer, different timing or a revised approval.

Keep the review practical and assign an owner and due date to every corrective action.

  • Check whether induction, supervision, weather controls and exclusion fencing worked.
  • Identify hazards that were missed during the pre-clearance survey.
  • Share lessons with the spotter catcher team, supervisors and subcontractors before work resumes.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roosting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore shaded roosting habitat and reliable food resources while keeping future camps away from high conflict areas where possible. Design works for a mobile, colonial species that uses both natural and urban landscapes.

Retain and regenerate tall trees, dense understorey, mangroves, paperbarks, rainforest plants and eucalypt forest around suitable waterways. Protect retained trees from soil compaction, root damage, lighting and pruning.

Reconnect fragmented patches where practicable. A potential campsite may need several hectares, tall emergent trees, dense understorey and proximity to water, but suitability varies between sites.

Use local native species suited to the soil, hydrology and flood regime. Stage planting so shade and roost structure develop without creating immediate safety risks.

  • Fence rehabilitation areas and exclude vehicles, stock, dogs and unauthorised access.
  • Protect natural regeneration and replace failed plants during the establishment period.
  • Retain safe mature trees wherever possible because replacement canopy takes many years to develop.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Food plants and water

Plant a diverse mix of local flowering and fruiting species used by flying-foxes, including suitable eucalypts, paperbarks, figs, lilly-pillies, banksias, grevilleas and other locally appropriate native food plants.

Maintain watercourses, wetlands and damp ground conditions that support mangroves, paperbarks and other roost vegetation. Prevent sediment, weeds and pollutants from entering waterways.

Coordinate flowering and fruiting habitat with broader landscape restoration. Flying-foxes may travel 25 km or more from a camp to feed.

  • Use locally sourced plants and protect them from browsing, drought and vandalism.
  • Avoid planting species that create hazards near powerlines, roads or buildings.
  • Inspect water levels, plant health, weed cover and evidence of flying-fox use during monitoring visits.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Replacement structures and roost design

Natural trees and connected canopy are the preferred long-term roost resource. Artificial structures may suit some bat species, but standard nest boxes and bat boxes are not a reliable replacement for the large trees used by black flying-fox colonies.

Do not install nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nests or roost structures as a substitute for an active flying-fox camp without species-specific design advice and regulatory approval.

Where a project requires an artificial roost structure, engage a flying-fox ecologist and structural engineer. Design must consider load, height, shade, access, heat, maintenance, nearby food and the risk of attracting animals into unsafe locations.

  • Use replacement structures only where they are approved, safe and suited to the species and site.
  • Do not place structures near powerlines, busy roads, unstable trees or locations where future conflict is likely.
  • Monitor any structure for use, overheating, damage, entanglement and conflict, and remove or modify it if it creates a hazard.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Weed and threat management

Control invasive weeds that suppress roost trees, understorey regeneration or food plants. Use staged weed removal so shade and shelter are not removed from an occupied camp.

Remove or mark barbed wire near roosts and feeding areas. Make retained wires visible with suitable markers where removal is not possible.

Manage lighting, noise, domestic animals, fruit netting and access so restored habitat remains safe for flying-foxes and people.

  • Use wildlife safe fruit netting with mesh that cannot entangle flying-foxes.
  • Keep dogs and people away from active camps and rehabilitated roost areas.
  • Inspect fences, wires, trees and lighting at each monitoring visit.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation for plant survival, canopy development, weed recovery, water condition and use by flying-foxes. Record whether animals roost, forage or move through the site.

Use consistent photo points, mapped plots and repeat camp observations. Include dusk emergence counts where a colony establishes and daytime checks for dependent young or heat stress.

Review the management plan as the habitat matures. A successful site may attract a larger colony, so future access, buffers, safety and conflict controls should be planned early.

  • Monitor at least through establishment and continue at the frequency required by the approval or restoration plan.
  • Record species, estimated numbers, occupied trees, breeding activity, food resources, hazards and community impacts.
  • Use results to guide watering, weed control, supplementary planting, lighting changes and protection of expanding roost habitat.

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