Fauna Spotters logo

Central Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus major)

The Central Long-eared Bat, Nyctophilus major, is a small insect-eating microbat of arid and semi-arid woodlands in Western Australia and South Australia. On works sites, hollow trees, loose bark, split branches and nearby caves may provide roosts, including maternity roosts that can support many local bats. The species is listed as least concern in Australia, but it is a colonial breeder, so breeding places need extra care. In Queensland, disturbing a breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020.

Conservation status

Breeding behaviour, All states and territories: Colonial breeder. Breeds in colonies or shared roosts, so one breeding place can hold a large share of the local population.

Breeding season

The Central Long-eared Bat breeds in autumn, with young born in late spring and early summer. Timing may vary between arid and semi-arid regions, so spring to late summer should be treated as the broader maternity period for site planning.

Breeding mode: A live-bearing mammal and colonial breeder. Microbats generally produce one pup a year in the warmer months.

Breeding timing: Breeding begins in autumn. For planning, mating and breeding activity is most likely from March to May.

Births: Young are born in late spring and early summer, generally October to December in southern Australia.

Litter size and development: One pup a year is the usual pattern for microbats. Gestation, weaning and the timing of first flight are not recorded for the Central Long-eared Bat.

Roost and maternity sites: Roosts include tree hollows, dry hollows, split branches, fissures, foliage and loose bark. Other microbat maternity roosts may also occur in caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings.

Colonies and breeding places: A maternity roost is a shared place where females give birth and raise pups. Typical colony sizes and site fidelity are not recorded for this species. An active breeding place may be indicated by pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated emergence activity, or bats returning to the same hollow or structure. Colonies need special care because one roost can contain a substantial part of the local breeding population.

Site checks and protection: Use Anabat or similar acoustic detectors, emergence watches, and harp traps or mist nets where suitable and authorised. Inspect hollow-bearing trees with an endoscope or pole camera. If removal is unavoidable, use staged or soft felling, retain suitable roost trees, and install exclusion devices outside the maternity season. Bat boxes are supplementary only and do not replace natural roost protection. In Queensland, tampering with a breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires the high risk species management program pathway.

Breeding and roost use may shift between years and regions with temperature, rainfall, food availability and local roost conditions, so field evidence should take priority over calendar dates.

  • Breeding and mating: Breeding begins in autumn, although exact mating months are not documented.
  • Births, late spring to early summer: Young are reported from late spring to early summer, approximately October to December.
  • Dependent pups: Pups are expected to remain associated with the maternity roost after birth, but the duration of dependence is not recorded.
  • Maternity roost and colony protection: Use a precautionary maternity period from September to December, extending into summer where young or active maternity use is detected.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing from October to December has the greatest potential to harm pups, lactating females and active maternity roosts.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Central Long-eared Bat is a compact, chunky bat with a large head, broad snout and very large ears. It is usually dark grey-brown above, with slightly paler hair tips.

Females are larger than males and fly faster. The species has a broad snout and lacks the Y-shaped nose leaf seen on the Lesser Long-eared Bat.

Build: Compact and chunky, with a large head and broad snout.

Ears: Large, long ears that are conspicuous when the bat is held for identification.

  • Head and body length: 55 to 60 mm in males, 61 to 65 mm in females.
  • Tail length: 45 to 48 mm in males, 47 to 50 mm in females.
  • Weight: about 9.5 g in males and 12.7 g in females.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Species identification from echolocation alone should be treated cautiously. Use an Anabat or similar detector to locate bat activity, then combine the call pattern with habitat, roost evidence and, where authorised, a harp trap or mist net.

The Central Long-eared Bat is smaller than similar eastern long-eared bats. It is much larger than the Lesser Long-eared Bat, which has a Y-shaped nose leaf. It can also be distinguished from the Western Long-eared Bat by its more widely spaced canine teeth at the gum line.

Useful confirmation: A combination of morphology, acoustic records, habitat and roost observations is more reliable than any single field sign.

  • Use a reference library and an experienced bat ecologist for acoustic identification.
  • Do not treat a single acoustic sequence as confirmation of a maternity roost.
  • Handle captured bats only under the relevant licence, animal welfare procedures and project approvals.

Identification: Field signs

Bats may leave small, dark, crumbly droppings below a used roost entrance, on tree trunks, ledges or the floor beneath a cavity. Droppings can be difficult to distinguish from those of other small bats without inspection.

The species does not build a nest. Whitewash, staining or odour may occur at a regularly used roost, but their absence does not rule out a bat roost.

  • Look for droppings directly below hollows, loose bark, fissures and bridge or culvert joints.
  • Listen for squeaks or social calls around a roost, but do not rely on unaided hearing to confirm occupancy.
  • Record fresh droppings, bat smell, staining, scratch marks and repeated activity at the same entrance.

Distribution: Western Australia

The Central Long-eared Bat occurs across southern and western Australia. Records are concentrated in arid and semi-arid regions, and the species is mapped in Western Australia and South Australia.

In Western Australia, the species is known from the Coolgardie, Hampton and northern Avon Bioregions. It has been recorded from 15 localities and is locally common in parts of the Coolgardie and Hampton Bioregions.

Known populations occur in the Dundas, Jilbadji and Mt Manning Nature Reserves. The species appears to be rarer in the Great Victoria Desert, Nullarbor and Stony Plains Bioregions.

  • Coolgardie Bioregion.
  • Hampton Bioregion.
  • Northern Avon Bioregion.
  • Semi-arid and arid parts of southern Western Australia.

Distribution: South Australia

In South Australia, the species occurs in the Gawler Bioregion and the western part of the Eyre and York Blocks Bioregion. It has also been recorded at Ooldea in the Great Victoria Desert Bioregion.

Populations are locally common in the Gawler and western Eyre and York Block Bioregions. Much of the suitable woodland and mallee habitat in agricultural areas has been cleared.

  • Gawler Bioregion.
  • Western Eyre and York Blocks Bioregion.
  • Great Victoria Desert records, including Ooldea.
  • Stony Plains record from a bat recovered after a night drive.

Distribution: What the range means on a work site

A site may support the species even where there are no recent local records. Survey effort, roost availability and seasonal conditions strongly affect detection.

Give particular attention to remnant eucalypt woodland, mallee, granite outcrops, dams and mature trees within or near the disturbance footprint.

  • Check state databases and local records before clearing.
  • Map suitable hollow-bearing trees and connected remnant vegetation.
  • Consider nearby roosting and foraging habitat, not only the construction footprint.

Habitat: Vegetation to look for

The Central Long-eared Bat uses eucalypt woodlands, mallee and other vegetation communities in arid and semi-arid landscapes. It is more likely to occur where mature trees, dense shrub layers, water and rocky features occur together.

Favoured vegetation includes heavy, tall and open eucalypt woodlands, mallee and woodland with a dense flowering shrub understorey. Relevant plants include salmon gum, gimlet, other small eucalypts, Melaleuca species, Eremophila species, Acacia papyrocarpa, Acacia ramulosa and Casuarina cristata.

  • Mallee with mature stems and peeling or loose bark.
  • Eucalypt woodland with hollows, fissures and split branches.
  • Woodland edges with dense thickets of flowering shrubs.
  • Remnant vegetation along road verges, reserves, drainage lines and farm boundaries.

Habitat: Landforms and water

The species has been associated with dams and granite outcrops. Woodland edges around granite features can provide both shelter and productive foraging habitat.

Caves recorded in the broader region may also provide roosting habitat, although a cave record should not be assumed to be a maternity roost without inspection.

  • Dams and other permanent or semi-permanent water points.
  • Granite outcrops and adjacent sheoak or wattle thickets.
  • Depressions containing mature trees.
  • Caves, dolines and mine-like underground features outside the clearing area.

Habitat: Site assessment

Walk the disturbance footprint and nearby retained vegetation before finalising clearing limits. Mark mature trees with hollows, loose bark, split limbs and deep fissures, even where the tree appears partly dead.

Retained vegetation can still be affected by vibration, lighting, dust, altered drainage and loss of connecting habitat. Include these indirect effects in the site risk assessment.

  • Map hollow-bearing trees and large limbs.
  • Record canopy condition, understorey density and nearby water.
  • Identify access tracks and work areas that could damage retained habitat.
  • Keep lighting directed away from known or suspected roosts where practicable.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas

This bat hunts low in the canopy, around shrubs and in cluttered airspaces. It gleans invertebrates from foliage, bark and the ground, and also catches insects in flight.

Look for foraging habitat around woodland edges, shrub thickets, mallee, dams and granite outcrops. Dense vegetation can provide the cluttered airspace used by long-eared bats.

The species has been recorded taking mostly beetles in Banksia woodland, but its diet also includes other insects and spiders.

Flight speed: Maximum flight speed is about 10 kilometres per hour.

  • Low woodland and shrub layers.
  • Edges between open ground and dense vegetation.
  • Mature trees with rough bark and complex crowns.
  • Dams and other areas likely to concentrate flying insects.

Foraging habitat: Lighting and insects

Artificial lighting can change insect activity and may attract bats to a work area. Lighting near a roost or along a retained vegetation edge can also alter movement routes.

Use the minimum practical lighting, shield lights from vegetation and avoid directing lights at hollow-bearing trees, cave entrances, bridges and culverts.

  • Use downward-facing, shielded lights.
  • Avoid unnecessary lighting during night works.
  • Keep light spill away from retained woodland and known roost entrances.
  • Inspect areas around lights for bat activity, while recognising that attraction to insects does not confirm roosting nearby.

Foraging habitat: Surveying for activity

Acoustic detectors such as Anabat or similar equipment are useful for identifying bat activity and movement across a site. Place detectors near likely flyways, water, woodland edges and suspected roost trees.

A harp trap or mist net may help confirm species identity when used by suitably experienced and authorised personnel. Emergence watches can show whether a tree, cave, culvert, bridge or building is being used.

  • Run acoustic surveys across suitable habitat and likely movement routes.
  • Undertake emergence watches at suspected roosts before works begin.
  • Record weather, timing, detector location and nearby habitat.
  • Use more than one survey method where the consequence of missing a roost is high.

Breeding habitat: Maternity habitat

The Central Long-eared Bat breeds in the warmer part of the year. Breeding begins in autumn, and young are born from late spring to early summer, although microbat maternity activity can extend from spring into late summer.

A maternity roost is a place where females gather to give birth and raise young. For this species, likely structures include dry tree hollows, spaces under loose bark and fissures in branches, with caves and other enclosed structures possible in the broader landscape.

The exact maternity-site requirements and colony sizes of the Central Long-eared Bat are poorly known. Treat suitable hollow-bearing trees and other enclosed roosts as potentially active until checked.

Young: Most microbats give birth to one pup each year during the warmer months.

  • Mature eucalypts and mallee with suitable hollows.
  • Trees with loose bark, split branches or deep fissures.
  • Caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings where access and shelter are suitable.
  • Sheltered roosts close to woodland, shrub cover or water.

Breeding habitat: Confirming a maternity roost

Confirmation is strongest when pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young are observed. An emergence watch can show regular use, but it may not distinguish a maternity roost from another communal roost on its own.

Inspection of a tree cavity with an endoscope or pole camera should be planned carefully. Do not block the entrance, shine lights directly onto bats for extended periods or handle bats without approval.

  • Look for pregnant females, lactating females or pups.
  • Watch for repeated emergence and return activity.
  • Inspect cavities only with suitable equipment and trained personnel.
  • Schedule intrusive inspection outside the maternity period where practicable.

Breeding habitat: Timing of works

Avoid felling, pruning, demolition or exclusion work at a suspected maternity roost while dependent young may be present. If work cannot be delayed, obtain project-specific ecological and regulatory advice before proceeding.

A single quiet inspection is not enough to clear a tree where a cavity is deep, inaccessible or likely to contain hidden bats.

  • Plan pre-clearance checks before each relevant work stage.
  • Recheck trees if clearing is delayed or conditions change.
  • Stop work if bats, pups or a previously unknown roost are found.
  • Keep a clear record of decisions, inspections and any management actions.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roosts

The Central Long-eared Bat changes between sheltered roosts, including tree hollows, bark and split branches. It may also use caves and built structures, so a work site assessment should cover both natural and artificial roost features.

Inspect mature trees for dry hollows, branch fissures, split limbs, loose bark and cavities concealed by dense foliage. Trees with limited external signs can still contain bats.

Roosting habitat may occur in living or partly dead trees. Retained dead limbs and standing trees should be assessed before they are removed for safety or access.

  • Tree hollows and dry cavities.
  • Loose bark and spaces between bark and trunk.
  • Fissures and splits in branches.
  • Dense foliage and sheltered tree crevices.

Sheltering habitat: Other roost structures

Caves and dolines occur in the wider southern Australian range and may provide shelter. Culverts, bridges, buildings and similar structures can also provide enclosed crevices for microbats, particularly where joints, gaps or cavities remain undisturbed.

Inspect these structures before sealing, relining, demolishing or modifying them.

  • Caves, mines and doline systems.
  • Culverts and bridge joints.
  • Buildings, roof spaces and wall cavities.
  • Cracks, expansion joints and enclosed service spaces.

Sheltering habitat: Inspection and exclusion

Use an endoscope or pole camera where a cavity cannot be viewed safely from the ground. Combine the inspection with acoustic monitoring and an emergence watch when the risk is high.

If exclusion is approved, use a one-way device outside the maternity season and confirm that bats have left before sealing. Exclusion devices must not trap bats inside or prevent dependent young from being reunited with females.

  • Do not seal a cavity during the maternity period.
  • Use soft, staged or two-stage felling for hollow-bearing trees where removal is unavoidable.
  • Install bat boxes only as a supplementary measure. They do not replace protection of a natural roost.
  • Have a contingency plan for injured, trapped or displaced bats.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony or maternity roost looks like

The Central Long-eared Bat is treated here as a colonial breeder. A colony or maternity roost may be hidden inside a hollow, behind bark, in a fissure or within another enclosed structure, and the visible number of bats may be much smaller than the local population relying on that place.

Bats may cluster in a dry hollow, under loose bark, in a split branch or in a cave. A maternity roost can be difficult to see from the ground because females and pups remain inside during the day.

There may be no nest. Useful signs include repeated emergence, bat calls, droppings below an entrance, staining, odour and bats returning to the same feature.

  • A tree with a small entrance and deep internal cavity.
  • Loose bark lifted from the trunk or large limb.
  • A branch fissure that opens into a sheltered void.
  • A cave, culvert, bridge or building crevice with repeated bat activity.

Colonies and breeding places: Colony size and site fidelity

The typical colony size for this species is not established. Do not assume that a roost with only a few visible bats has low value, because bats may be concealed or absent during a daytime check.

Long-eared bats may return to suitable roosts and maternity sites, but the level of site fidelity for this species is poorly known. Retain alternative roosts and nearby habitat wherever possible.

Typical colony size: Not established for the Central Long-eared Bat.

Site fidelity: Likely to depend on roost suitability and local conditions, but species specific use patterns are poorly known.

  • Treat every suspected maternity roost as a high consequence feature until assessed.
  • Record all roost locations, entrances and evidence of use.
  • Check nearby trees and structures for replacement or satellite roosts.
  • Avoid removing several potential roosts in one operation.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

An active breeding place is best confirmed by pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young. Regular emergence and return activity, especially during the breeding season, should also be treated as evidence that the site is being used.

Microbats are colonial breeders during the breeding season. Any roost where young are raised is a breeding place.

  • Observe an emergence watch from a position that does not block the entrance.
  • Use acoustic monitoring to identify repeated activity and possible entry or exit routes.
  • Inspect accessible cavities with an endoscope or pole camera when safe and authorised.
  • Stop work and seek advice if pups or lactating females are found.

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

A single maternity site can hold a large share of the local breeding population. Disturbance, blocked entrances, tree felling or sealing can kill dependent young or remove a roost used by many females.

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. The Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation defines colonial breeders as animals of the same kind that co-exist in close association for breeding.

  • Confirm regulatory requirements before disturbing a suspected breeding place.
  • Use a trained fauna spotter catcher and bat ecologist for pre-clearance and exclusion work.
  • Protect the roost and its surrounding flight paths from lighting, vibration and unnecessary activity.
  • Document the response if a breeding place is found during clearing.

Threats: Tree and habitat removal

The main risks on development sites are loss of roost trees, disturbance of maternity places and removal of connected woodland. Land clearing, grazing and introduced predators also affect habitat and populations across the species range.

Clearing mature eucalypts, mallee and dense shrub thickets removes roosting and foraging habitat. A site with only a small number of hollow-bearing trees can still contain a valuable local roost.

Retain suitable trees, understorey and habitat links wherever the project design allows.

  • Avoid removing hollow-bearing trees and large split limbs.
  • Protect tree roots and canopies in retained habitat.
  • Keep construction access within approved limits.
  • Replace unnecessary clearing with existing tracks or disturbed areas.

Threats: Disturbance to breeding places

Felling, pruning, demolition, sealing or vibration near a maternity roost can harm females and pups. Exclusion at the wrong time can trap young inside or separate them from their mothers.

Use staged or soft felling, exclusion outside the maternity season and a clear stop-work procedure.

  • Complete a roost assessment before clearing or demolition.
  • Do not seal a cavity until absence has been confirmed.
  • Stop work if bats or pups are found.
  • Escalate suspected breeding places for ecological and regulatory review.

Threats: Lighting, noise and fragmentation

Lighting can attract insects and bats but may also change movement patterns around retained habitat. Vibration, noise and loss of vegetation can disturb roost entrances and reduce access between roosts and feeding areas.

Plan night works away from known or suspected roosts where practicable.

  • Shield and direct lights downwards.
  • Avoid light spill into woodland edges, caves and roost entrances.
  • Retain links between roost trees, water and foraging habitat.
  • Limit unnecessary night traffic near suspected roosts.

Threats: Land management and predators

Land clearing for agriculture has reduced habitat in parts of the Avon and Eyre and York Blocks regions. Grazing and trampling can degrade dense thickets, while cats and foxes prey on the species.

Protect remnant vegetation on reserves, road verges and farms, and manage introduced animals where this forms part of the project or land management plan.

  • Prevent stock access to sensitive shrub thickets where practicable.
  • Retain woodland edges and granite outcrop vegetation.
  • Include cat and fox risks in site fauna management plans.
  • Monitor retained habitat after clearing and construction.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Central Long-eared Bat is poorly known at breeding sites, so surveys should combine habitat inspection, acoustic detection and targeted searches. Plan surveys around the warmer breeding period, when females and young are most likely to be associated with maternity roosts.

Map woodland, mallee, dense shrubland, granite outcrops, dams and other nearby water sources. Identify hollow-bearing trees, trees with loose bark or split branches, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings that could provide shelter.

Review previous fauna records, local ecological reports and database records. Check whether the proposal could affect known or potential breeding places, roosts, movement routes or foraging habitat.

  • Mark all trees and structures that could contain hollows, fissures, loose bark or concealed cavities.
  • Check whether lighting, noise, vibration or night works could disturb nearby roosting or foraging habitat.
  • Confirm the permits, approval conditions and survey requirements that apply to the site and jurisdiction.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and trapping surveys

Use Anabat or a similar ultrasonic detector in suitable woodland, mallee, creek lines, dams and edges of dense vegetation. Survey at night during suitable weather, with low wind and no rain where practicable.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under an approved method and by people with the required authority and experience. Place equipment near likely flyways, water, woodland edges and roost exits, while avoiding unnecessary disturbance.

The species is not well known, so use more than one method where habitat or project risk warrants it. A single negative survey should not be treated as proof that a potential roost is unused.

  • Record the date, start and finish time, weather, wind, rain, detector location, detector settings and surveyor names.
  • Record trap or net locations, operating times, checks, captures, releases and any bycatch.
  • Release bats at the capture site unless an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian directs otherwise.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost and emergence inspection

Inspect suitable trees and structures from the ground before disturbance. Use an endoscope or pole camera where a cavity can be examined safely without entering or damaging it.

Watch likely roosts from before sunset through emergence. Look for bats leaving or returning, audible activity, fresh droppings, staining, odour, scratch marks, fur, pups and females carrying young.

Confirm a maternity roost where pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young are found. Treat a site as a potential breeding place until a suitably qualified person has assessed the evidence.

  • Do not seal, block or enter a cavity during inspection.
  • Record the tree or structure location, type, dimensions where safe to measure, entrance features, evidence of use and photographs.
  • Map all confirmed and potential roosts and provide the map to the site supervisor and spotter catcher.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey interpretation and reporting

Interpret detector records with a suitably experienced ecologist. Long-eared bats can be difficult to detect acoustically, and a call record may not identify the species with certainty.

Report the survey limitations clearly, including access restrictions, weather, equipment failure, unsuitable conditions and areas that could not be inspected.

  • Describe the habitat, potential roosts, breeding evidence, survey effort and likelihood of impact.
  • Separate confirmed maternity roosts from potential roosts and ordinary foraging records.
  • Recommend additional survey or seasonal monitoring where a hollow-bearing tree, colony or breeding place could be affected.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Avoid roosts and breeding places wherever practicable. Before work starts, confirm the approvals, permits, exclusion measures and rescue arrangements with the project ecologist, regulator and fauna spotter catcher.

Check whether the action requires an EPBC Act referral or approval. Confirm the relevant state or territory wildlife permits, clearing approvals and conditions before mobilisation.

In Queensland, treat the Central Long-eared Bat as a least concern colonial breeder for breeding-place management. Tampering with its breeding place requires the high risk species management program pathway under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk pathway used for other least concern animals.

  • Keep copies of approvals, permits, species management programs and contact details on site.
  • Confirm who can inspect, handle, rescue, exclude or relocate bats.
  • Do not begin work that could affect a breeding place until the required approval and management measures are in place.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Colonies and breeding places

A colony or maternity roost is a place where bats gather, particularly during the breeding season, to shelter and raise young. It may be inside a tree hollow, behind loose bark, in a branch fissure, cave, mine, culvert, bridge or building. Microbats may use more than one nearby roost, and a site used to raise young is a breeding place.

Colony size for the Central Long-eared Bat is poorly documented. Do not assume that a small entrance, a quiet tree or one observed bat means the site has low value. Site fidelity can occur, so a roost that is empty during one inspection may still be used at another time.

  • Look for repeated emergence or return activity, droppings, staining, odour, squeaking, fur, pups and pregnant or lactating females.
  • Treat a group of bats using one structure, or several nearby structures, as a potential colony until assessed.
  • Apply greater protection where young are present because they cannot readily escape disturbance or exclusion.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Avoidance and timing

Retain hollow-bearing trees, trees with loose bark and split branches, and nearby dense vegetation wherever practicable. Retain connected woodland and mallee habitat around roosts and foraging areas.

The species has been recorded giving birth from spring to early summer, and general microbat guidance places births in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer. Schedule tree removal, demolition and exclusion outside the local maternity period where practicable, based on local survey results and regulatory advice.

No universal species-specific buffer is prescribed here. Set a site-specific no-go area around the roost, access route and associated habitat after considering the structure, colony evidence, noise, vibration, lighting and the risk of collapse or disturbance.

  • Use physical fencing, flagging and clear signage to protect retained roosts.
  • Avoid night works near active roosts and maternity sites unless specifically assessed and approved.
  • Do not use exclusion devices while dependent young may be inside.

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

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before disturbance. Inspect all hollow-bearing trees, loose bark, fissures, caves, culverts, bridges and buildings that could be used by bats.

For hollow-bearing trees, use a two-stage or soft-felling method where removal is approved. Cut limbs carefully, pause between stages, and allow the fauna spotter catcher to inspect cavities and respond to bats before the tree is moved.

  • Brief every worker on the species, protected areas, stop-work authority, safe handling limits and the injured animal pathway.
  • Place the fauna spotter catcher where they can see the work face and likely escape routes.
  • Install exclusion devices only outside the maternity season, after inspection confirms that no bats or dependent young remain inside.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use slow, supervised clearing that gives bats time to leave and allows the fauna spotter catcher to respond. Stop work whenever the approved method is no longer safe or when a breeding place, colony or injured animal is found.

Clear vegetation in stages, starting with lower-risk areas and retaining escape habitat toward undisturbed vegetation. Fell hollow-bearing trees only under the approved two-stage or soft-felling procedure.

Keep machinery away from retained roost trees, exclusion devices and marked no-go areas. Do not drop trees or demolish structures onto potential escape habitat.

  • Check each tree or structure before disturbance.
  • Pause after cuts or partial felling to allow bats to leave and to permit cavity inspection.
  • Reinspect the ground, fallen limbs and cavities before material is removed.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work authority and handling

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work immediately. Only authorised and trained people should handle bats or enter a rescue area.

Do not pick up a bat with bare hands. Keep people, pets and machinery away, and avoid handling unless the animal is at immediate risk or the approved procedure requires it.

  • Use appropriate gloves and containment equipment under the project fauna procedure.
  • Keep a contained bat quiet, dark and secure, with minimal handling.
  • Do not release a bat until its condition, species and release location have been assessed by an authorised person.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Active breeding place or colony

If pups, dependent young, pregnant females or lactating females are found, stop the activity affecting the site. Do not fell, demolish, seal, relocate or otherwise tamper with the breeding place until the ecologist and regulator have confirmed the lawful response.

If a colony or roost is found unexpectedly, establish an exclusion area and keep workers and equipment out. Reassess the work method, timing and required species management program before continuing.

  • Record the location, structure, evidence of breeding, number of bats seen and immediate risks.
  • Maintain the roost and nearby escape habitat unless an approved method directs otherwise.
  • Use exclusion devices only when authorised, outside the maternity period and after confirming that no bats or young remain inside.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured, trapped or dead bats

Treat any bat found on the ground, caught in netting, injured by machinery or unable to fly as a wildlife incident. Follow the project rescue plan and contact an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian.

Do not attempt treatment, feeding or release without appropriate authority and advice.

  • Protect the animal from heat, noise, predators and further contact with people.
  • Record the exact location, time, condition, suspected cause and photographs where safe.
  • Notify the project ecologist and regulator where required by the approval or permit.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Field records

Keep a daily fauna log for all inspections, sightings, captures, exclusions, rescues, injuries, mortalities and stop-work events. Link records to tree numbers, structure numbers, photographs and GPS locations.

  • Record the name and authority of the person making each decision.
  • Record the clearing method, start and finish times, weather and machinery used.
  • Document any departure from the approved method and the corrective action taken.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Complete checks before the site is signed off and continue monitoring where a roost, colony or breeding place was affected. Use the results to improve the next stage of work and the project fauna management plan.

Inspect the cleared area, fallen trees, retained trees, structures and exclusion devices after each work stage. Check for live, trapped, injured or dead bats and for signs that a retained roost has been disturbed.

Where work occurred near a confirmed or potential roost, carry out follow-up emergence or acoustic checks at a time recommended by the project ecologist.

  • Check cavities, bark slabs, branch piles and demolition debris before removal.
  • Confirm that access to retained roosts has not been blocked by soil, waste, fencing or equipment.
  • Keep the site closed to further disturbance if a bat or breeding evidence is found.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated and released animals

Record the outcome for every rescued or relocated bat. The release location should provide shelter, nearby vegetation and protection from immediate construction hazards, and should be approved under the project procedure.

Where a bat cannot be safely released, transfer it to an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian.

  • Record species identification, sex where known, condition, capture location, release or transfer location, time and person responsible.
  • Do not move bats unnecessarily or release them into unsuitable exposed areas.
  • Report any mortality, repeat rescue or failed exclusion to the project ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor confirmed or potential roosts according to the approval, species management program and risk assessment. Use emergence watches, acoustic detectors or repeat inspections where these methods can answer the management question.

Prepare a close-out report that compares the work completed with the approved controls and records all fauna outcomes.

  • Include maps, photographs, survey effort, weather, detector files, capture data and incident records.
  • Report breeding-place disturbance, injury, mortality and permit non-compliance to the required authority within the required timeframe.
  • Retain records so they can inform later clearing stages and future maintenance.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every stop-work event, unexpected roost, injury, mortality or failed exclusion before the next work stage. Include the spotter catcher, site supervisor and project ecologist in the review.

  • Identify whether the survey, induction, exclusion, timing or work method failed.
  • Update the risk assessment, maps, induction and clearing sequence.
  • Share lessons with all crews before work resumes.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore the woodland structure and shelter used by the Central Long-eared Bat. Retain natural roost features wherever possible, because artificial structures are supplementary and may not replace an established maternity roost.

Replant local eucalypts, mallee species and dense shrub layers suited to the original vegetation community. Reconnect retained woodland, shrub thickets, granite outcrop edges and other habitat features where the project has fragmented them.

Retain fallen timber, bark and natural cavities where they do not create a safety or fire risk. Allow replacement trees to mature and develop hollows over the long term.

  • Use local provenance plants where required by the rehabilitation specification.
  • Protect new plantings from grazing, trampling, fire and vehicle damage.
  • Keep rehabilitation areas free from construction waste and soil compaction.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Supplementary roost structures

Use bat boxes, roost boxes or other artificial roost structures only where a suitably qualified ecologist has identified a likely benefit. Place them near retained woodland and foraging habitat, with safe access and protection from disturbance.

Artificial structures are not a substitute for retaining a confirmed maternity roost. Their use, design, placement and maintenance should suit local microclimate and the target microbat group.

  • Inspect boxes or roost structures for occupancy, damage, overheating, water entry and predators.
  • Do not install or maintain them during a period when bats or dependent young could be trapped inside.
  • Record occupancy and condition during follow-up monitoring.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, water and lighting

Control weeds that suppress native shrubs, dense understorey and regeneration. Use methods that do not contaminate roosts, water or feeding areas.

Protect existing dams, drainage lines and other water sources where they support local bat activity. Prevent sediment, pollutants and construction waste from entering water.

Limit artificial lighting near retained habitat, roosts and water. Use the lowest practical intensity, direct light away from vegetation and avoid lighting roost entrances.

  • Inspect rehabilitation areas after rain and after weed treatment.
  • Maintain safe fauna access around water while meeting site safety requirements.
  • Remove temporary lighting and equipment when no longer needed.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Monitor vegetation establishment, roost structures, retained trees and any confirmed maternity site for the period required by the approval or management plan. The species is poorly known, so monitoring results can provide useful local evidence about roost use and habitat recovery.

  • Use repeat acoustic monitoring, emergence watches and roost inspections where appropriate.
  • Record bat activity, breeding evidence, habitat condition, weed cover, water condition and lighting changes.
  • Repair failed structures, replace dead plantings and adjust management when monitoring shows that habitat is not recovering.

Sources