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Eastern Forest Bat (Vespadelus pumilus)

The Eastern Forest Bat is a small insect-eating microbat of the subtropical east coast, recorded in Queensland and New South Wales. Maternity colonies use large hollows in old eucalypts, so clearing, tree removal and works near hollow-bearing trees can affect many bats at once. The species is listed as least concern in Australia, but Queensland treats it as a colonial breeder, and tampering with a breeding place requires a high risk species management program.

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

The Eastern Forest Bat breeds in Australia during the warmer months, with maternity roost formation and births recorded most clearly in October and November. Timing may vary between regions and years, so treat spring to late summer as the broader period when maternity roosts and dependent young may be present.

Breeding mode: Live-bearing mammal that forms colonial maternity roosts. Females gather in tree hollows to raise young, while males are usually solitary.

Breeding timing: Females form maternity roosts in October and November. More generally, microbats breed in the warmer months, from spring to late summer.

Litter size: Twins are usual. Some general guidance for microbats refers to one pup each year, so local confirmation is recommended.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Fledging and weaning: Not recorded. Treat pups in a maternity roost as dependent until a suitably qualified ecologist confirms otherwise.

Breeding places and colony size: Maternity colonies use large hollows in old eucalypts, which provide a humid nursery environment. Recorded maternity groups contain more than 50 females, with up to 54 females reported. Males commonly roost alone under loose bark or in other tree roosts.

Recognising an active breeding place: Strong indicators include pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated emergence from one hollow, and a concentration of bats returning to the same tree. Use acoustic detection, emergence watches, harp traps or mist nets, and internal inspection with an endoscope or pole camera where safe and authorised.

Timing can shift with local temperature, rainfall, elevation and habitat, so retain hollow-bearing trees and use a precautionary approach where surveys indicate occupied roosts or maternity activity.

  • Maternity colony formation and breeding: Females form maternity roosts in large tree hollows, with the clearest species records in October and November.
  • Pups and dependent young in maternity roosts: Pups are expected during the warmer breeding period, but the precise fledging and weaning period for this species is not recorded.
  • Maternity roosts and colonies in hollow-bearing trees: A hollow-bearing tree may shelter a large share of the local breeding females, so occupancy should be checked before clearing or felling.
  • Night foraging and routine bat activity: The Eastern Forest Bat is active at night throughout the year, although short periods of torpor can occur in the early morning and late afternoon.
  • Solitary male roosting and loose-bark shelter: Males commonly roost alone under loose bark or in dead and mature trees, including outside the maternity season.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is from spring to early summer, especially October and November, when colonies, maternity hollows and dependent pups may be present; use staged or soft felling and avoid disturbing confirmed maternity roosts.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Eastern Forest Bat is a small, fast-flying microbat. It can be difficult to separate from other small vesper bats in the hand or from a brief view, so acoustic confirmation is often needed.

The fur is dark chocolate brown to almost black at the hair base. The belly fur is longer and paler.

The body mass is about 4 to 5 g. Females may have a short, domed head and darker skin on the face and wings.

Flight: Fast flight while pursuing insects.

Body mass: About 4 to 5 g.

Identification: Calls and similar species

A bat detector, such as an Anabat or similar recorder, is generally needed to help identify this species. A visual sighting alone is rarely reliable.

Expect confusion with other small forest microbats. Record the call, habitat and roost context, and have the result checked by a suitably experienced bat ecologist where identification affects a clearing decision.

  • Do not identify the species from size or colour alone.
  • Use call analysis together with capture, roost and habitat information where required.

Identification: Field signs

Bats may leave small dark droppings below a roost entrance, although droppings cannot reliably identify the species. Guano accumulation, urine staining, a bat odour or repeated emergence activity can indicate a regularly used roost.

There is no nest or species-specific ground sign to rely on. Hollow-bearing trees, loose bark and narrow tree fissures should be treated as potential roost features until assessed.

  • Look below hollows, loose bark and other sheltered tree features for droppings.
  • Check for fresh staining, odour, scratching or worn edges around an entrance.
  • Use an endoscope or pole camera only where this can be done safely and without disturbing bats.

Distribution: Australian range

The Eastern Forest Bat occurs along the subtropical east coast of Australia. In project areas, records and suitable habitat are most relevant in Queensland and New South Wales.

The known range extends from about 18°S to 33°S along the east coast. The species is mapped in Queensland and New South Wales.

It has been recorded in wet sclerophyll forest, rainforest gullies and forested areas containing mature eucalypts.

  • Queensland
  • New South Wales
  • Subtropical east coast regions between about 18°S and 33°S

Distribution: Site records and survey interpretation

A lack of local records does not demonstrate that a site is unused. Small microbats are easy to miss without targeted acoustic work, and roosts may be hidden inside hollows or under bark.

Give greater weight to records near old trees, rainforest gullies, wet sclerophyll vegetation and connected riparian forest.

  • Check state and local biodiversity databases before planning clearing.
  • Map hollow-bearing trees, dead trees, riparian buffers and connected forest.
  • Use acoustic surveys where suitable roost habitat may be affected.

Distribution: Overseas range

The Eastern Forest Bat is an Australian species. No overseas range is recognised for field planning.

Habitat: Vegetation communities

Look for the Eastern Forest Bat in moist forest settings with mature trees and tree hollows. The best site indicators are rainforest gullies, wet sclerophyll forest and older eucalypts retained within or beside cleared areas.

The species is associated with rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, especially where gullies contain rainforest vegetation. Study records also include high elevation wet sclerophyll forest and warm subtropical forest.

Suitable habitat can remain in narrow forest remnants, riparian strips, regrowth areas and scattered old trees.

  • Rainforest gullies
  • Wet sclerophyll forest
  • Moist understorey vegetation
  • Riparian forest and retained forest patches

Habitat: Features to map before works

Before clearing, walk the site for large old eucalypts, dead trees, hollow-bearing trees and trees with loose bark. Mark these features separately from general vegetation because they may provide roosts even when the surrounding forest is disturbed.

Give particular attention to trees standing beside access tracks, roads, drainage lines, creek buffers and proposed laydown areas.

  • Large old eucalypts
  • Standing dead trees
  • Hollows of different sizes
  • Loose bark and deep fissures
  • Creek lines, gullies and retained forest connections

Habitat: Landscape context

Retained hollow-bearing trees can continue to support bats within harvested or regenerating forest. Connectivity between mature trees, gullies and feeding areas should be considered when locating infrastructure.

Avoid treating isolated trees as low value simply because the surrounding vegetation is regrowth or partly cleared.

Foraging habitat: Diet

The Eastern Forest Bat feeds on flying insects and may forage from the canopy to the understorey. Moist forest edges, gullies and connected tree cover are useful places to focus night surveys.

Recorded prey includes small moths, flies, mosquitoes, beetles, bugs, ants and wasps. The species is an insectivorous microbat and may help reduce insect numbers around forested sites.

  • Moths
  • Flies and mosquitoes
  • Beetles and bugs
  • Ants and wasps

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas

Look for likely feeding habitat between the canopy and understorey, particularly around rainforest gullies, wet sclerophyll vegetation, forest edges and creek lines.

Open areas may be used during flight between roosts and feeding habitat, but the surrounding tree cover remains relevant to the site's value.

  • Canopy to understorey layers
  • Rainforest gullies
  • Wet forest edges
  • Riparian vegetation and connected tree cover

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

Use ultrasonic detectors at suitable habitat features and along likely flight paths. Record weather, time, detector location and habitat so call identifications can be checked in context.

A bat detector is particularly useful where several small microbat species occur together.

  • Sample near mature hollow-bearing trees and forest edges.
  • Include gullies, creek lines and retained vegetation corridors.
  • Combine acoustic results with roost inspections where trees are proposed for removal.

Breeding habitat: Maternity habitat

Female Eastern Forest Bats form maternity roosts in large tree hollows. Births are usually recorded in October and November, and maternity areas need extra care because many females and young can be concentrated in one tree or small group of trees.

Large hollows in old eucalypts provide the humid, sheltered conditions used by nursery colonies. Females congregate in these hollows during the breeding season.

Males are commonly separated from the female roost during late spring and may roost alone elsewhere.

  • Large old eucalypts
  • Deep or enclosed hollows
  • Moist gullies and wet sclerophyll forest
  • Connected mature trees near feeding areas

Breeding habitat: Breeding timing

Maternity roost formation has been recorded in October and November. More generally, many Australian microbats raise young in the warmer months, from spring to late summer.

Females often give birth to twins. Avoid assuming that a quiet hollow is unused, because adults may leave to feed while young remain inside.

Recorded birth period: October and November.

Young: Females often give birth to twins.

Breeding habitat: Confirming a maternity roost

A maternity roost is best confirmed by evidence such as pregnant or lactating females, pups, or repeated use by a group of females. Emergence watches, acoustic monitoring and targeted trapping can help build the evidence.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under an appropriate wildlife authority and with experienced personnel. Do not block a hollow or repeatedly inspect it during the breeding period.

  • Watch for repeated emergence at dusk.
  • Look for groups of females rather than relying on a single bat record.
  • Use an endoscope or pole camera only where the inspection can be completed without harming bats or young.

Sheltering habitat: Tree roosts

The strongest roost records for this species are from tree hollows, loose bark and dead or mature trees. Other roost types are possible for microbats generally, so site inspections should cover built structures as well as trees where they occur.

Mature eucalypts with small to large hollows can provide day roosts and maternity roosts. Large old trees are particularly valuable for nursery colonies.

Males may roost alone in dead trees, large eucalypts or understorey trees, and under loose bark.

  • Hollow-bearing living trees
  • Standing dead trees
  • Loose bark
  • Deep fissures and concealed cavities

Sheltering habitat: Other potential microbat roosts

Across the microbat group, roosts may also occur in caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings. These sites should be checked where they occur on or beside a work area, although tree hollows and loose bark are the clearest roost features recorded for the Eastern Forest Bat.

  • Caves and disused mines
  • Culverts and bridges
  • Roof spaces and other building cavities
  • Tree hollows, fissures and loose bark

Sheltering habitat: Inspection before tree removal

Inspect hollow-bearing trees from the ground, then use a pole camera or endoscope where safe and authorised. Check the trunk, major limbs and broken branches for entrances, guano, staining, odour and recent activity.

If a tree may contain bats, plan staged or soft felling rather than direct mechanical removal. Retain the tree where practicable and seek species management advice before disturbing a suspected maternity roost.

  • Complete the inspection before machinery enters the exclusion area.
  • Treat concealed hollows as occupied until a competent assessment supports another conclusion.
  • Use exclusion devices only outside the maternity season and only when the roost is not supporting dependent young.

Sheltering habitat: Roost temperature and shelter

Roosts can be close to outside air temperature or warmer, depending on the tree and time of day. Do not assume that a hollow is unsuitable because it is exposed to changing temperatures.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony site looks like

A colony or maternity roost is a shared breeding place where many females may gather to raise young. For works planning, treat a hollow used by a maternity colony as a high value feature because removing one tree can affect a substantial part of the local breeding group.

A colony may be hidden inside a large hollow in an old eucalypt. From the ground, the tree may show only one or more small entrance holes, a broken limb, loose bark or a concealed cavity.

The roost itself may not be visible during the day. Bats may emerge shortly after sunset and return before dawn, while pups remain inside.

  • Large old eucalypt with a deep hollow
  • One or more sheltered entrances
  • Fresh guano below an entrance
  • Repeated evening emergence activity

Colonies and breeding places: Typical numbers and site use

Eastern Forest Bat maternity roosts have been recorded with more than 50 females, including up to 54 females. Males are usually solitary outside the female maternity group.

Detailed information on long term site fidelity for this species is limited. In practice, treat a suitable and previously occupied hollow as repeatedly used until surveys and expert assessment show otherwise.

Recorded maternity group: More than 50 females, with up to 54 recorded.

Male roosting: Usually solitary.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

The strongest evidence is pregnant or lactating females, pups, or repeated use by a group of females. A dusk emergence watch can show bats leaving a hollow, but it does not by itself confirm that young are present.

Use acoustic recording to identify activity around the tree. Where appropriate, experienced personnel may use harp traps or mist nets to check species and sex, subject to relevant approvals.

  • Pregnant or lactating females
  • Pups seen during an authorised inspection
  • Repeated group emergence at dusk
  • Fresh guano, staining or odour at the entrance

Colonies and breeding places: Protection during works

Avoid clearing or disturbing a suspected maternity tree during the breeding period. If removal cannot be avoided, use a staged or soft felling method under a fauna specialist's direction, and keep the tree and surrounding roost features undisturbed for as long as practicable.

In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program. Confirm the approval pathway before works begin.

  • Plan tree removal outside the maternity season where possible.
  • Do not use exclusion devices while dependent young may be present.
  • Retain suitable hollow-bearing trees and nearby roost trees wherever practicable.
  • Use bat boxes as a supplementary measure, not as an automatic replacement for a natural maternity hollow.

Threats: Loss of hollow-bearing trees

The main development risk is the loss or disturbance of hollow-bearing trees and other roost features. A species can remain least concern while local colonies are affected by the removal of a small number of old trees.

Clearing large old eucalypts removes maternity hollows that may have taken many decades to form. Standing dead trees and loose bark can also provide day roosts, especially for solitary males.

Tree removal should therefore consider both living and dead hollow-bearing trees.

  • Avoid removing large old trees where practicable.
  • Retain trees with hollows, broken limbs, loose bark and deep fissures.
  • Map retained trees so they are not damaged during access or construction.

Threats: Disturbance to breeding colonies

Felling, vibration, lighting and repeated close approach can disturb bats in a maternity hollow. Direct disturbance during the period when young are dependent can cause harm even if the tree is not removed.

Use a seasonal work plan and a site specific method statement where a maternity roost is suspected.

  • Avoid direct works at a suspected maternity tree during October and November.
  • Use emergence watches and acoustic checks before finalising the work method.
  • Stop work and seek advice if pups or a large female group are found.

Threats: Loss of feeding habitat

Clearing rainforest gullies, wet sclerophyll vegetation, creek buffers and connected forest can reduce feeding areas and movement routes. Fragmentation can also increase the distance between roost trees and insect-rich habitat.

  • Retain riparian vegetation and moist gullies.
  • Maintain links between mature trees and surrounding forest.
  • Limit unnecessary night lighting near retained habitat.

Threats: Fire and land management

Wildfire and severe tree decline can remove hollows, loose bark and mature canopy. Forestry, agricultural clearing and housing development can have similar effects when old trees and feeding grounds are not retained.

Plan fuel reduction and vegetation management around known roost trees, and reassess trees after fire or major disturbance.

  • Inspect fire affected trees for changed roost condition.
  • Retain safe standing hollow trees where risk controls allow.
  • Include bat roost features in vegetation and hazard tree assessments.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Eastern Forest Bats are small, difficult to identify by sight and can be missed during daytime inspections. Use several survey methods, especially where mature trees, hollows, loose bark or known roosts may be affected.

Map mature eucalypts, hollow-bearing trees, dead trees, loose bark, rainforest gullies, wet sclerophyll forest, riparian vegetation and nearby water. Check known records and aerial imagery for connected habitat and previous clearing.

Treat large old trees as potential maternity habitat, even where no bats have been recorded. Eastern Forest Bats are recorded in Queensland and New South Wales, including rainforest and wet sclerophyll settings.

  • Review the project footprint, access tracks, compound areas, temporary works and proposed lighting.
  • Identify trees that may be retained but could be affected by vibration, pruning, excavation, fire or changed drainage.
  • Confirm whether the action could affect a matter of national environmental significance or trigger state fauna requirements.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and capture surveys

Use an Anabat or similar detector to survey flying bats. Acoustic confirmation is useful because Eastern Forest Bats are difficult to separate from other small microbats by sight alone.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under an approved method and with suitably experienced personnel. Harp traps can be placed at suspected roost entrances, particularly where bats are emerging from tree hollows. Capture methods should be selected to minimise heat, predation and entanglement risk.

  • Survey during suitable weather, with low wind and no heavy rain, when bats are active after sunset.
  • Use repeated survey nights where habitat is suitable or the consequence of clearing is high. Set the number and timing of nights from the habitat, season, project risk and approval conditions.
  • Avoid relying on one detector file or one night of trapping to rule out a roost.
  • Have a qualified bat ecologist confirm difficult call identifications and any capture records.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost and maternity surveys

Inspect hollow-bearing trees from the ground and, where safe, use an endoscope or pole camera. Do not insert equipment into a cavity if this could injure a bat or disturb pups.

Undertake emergence watches from before sunset until bat activity has finished. Watch all likely entrances, including hollows, fissures and loose bark. Inspect culverts, bridges, buildings, mines and caves where these structures occur, although tree hollows and loose bark are the principal known roost features for this species.

  • Look for bats entering or leaving, audible social calls, staining, droppings, fur, scratch marks and fresh debris below an entrance.
  • Record the tree or structure location, species, condition, hollow or bark feature, entrance orientation, height, evidence of use and photographs.
  • Confirm a maternity roost by recording pregnant or lactating females, pups, or repeated use by a group of females. Maternity hollows have been recorded with up to 54 females, and other observations describe more than 50 pregnant mothers.
  • Treat a hollow as an active breeding place if pups or dependent young are present, or if a competent ecologist confirms that young are being raised there.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey records and interpretation

Record the survey date, start and finish times, weather, temperature, wind, rain, moon conditions where relevant, equipment, detector settings, trap locations and surveyors.

Keep the original acoustic files, photographs, trap sheets, release records, GPS locations and tree schedules. Record all bats captured, including sex, reproductive condition, identification confidence, injuries and release location.

  • Record whether males are roosting alone under loose bark or in dead and large trees. Solitary male roosts do not indicate that a nearby maternity roost is absent.
  • Map all potential and confirmed breeding places in relation to the clearing footprint and proposed exclusion area.
  • State clearly whether the survey detected a confirmed roost, a likely roost, potential habitat only, or no evidence of use.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals, referrals and permits

Plan the work around the risk to hollow-bearing trees and maternity roosts. A least concern listing does not remove the need to protect an active colonial breeding place, particularly in Queensland.

Obtain project-specific ecological and legal advice before clearing. Check whether an EPBC Act referral is required if the action may significantly affect a protected matter.

In Queensland, obtain the required Species Management Program approval for tampering with a breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder. The higher risk SMP pathway applies to a least concern colonial breeder, rather than the low risk pathway used for other least concern animals.

Check New South Wales and Queensland fauna, animal ethics, wildlife handling and vegetation clearing requirements. Ensure fauna spotter catchers and bat handlers hold the required authorities for the work.

  • Include approved conditions, survey requirements, reporting duties and stop-work triggers in the construction environmental management plan.
  • Obtain separate approvals where caves, mines, bridges, culverts, buildings or other structures are affected.
  • Do not assume that a general clearing approval authorises disturbance to a maternity roost or other breeding place.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and timing

Retain large old eucalypts, hollow-bearing trees, dead trees with cavities and trees with loose bark wherever practicable. Retain connected rainforest gullies, wet sclerophyll vegetation and riparian buffers.

Schedule tree removal outside the main maternity period wherever practicable. Female maternity roosts are recorded in October and November, and many microbats raise young in the warmer months from spring to late summer. Confirm the local timing with the project ecologist before setting the clearing window.

There is no established migration period for this species. Do not treat the absence of migration as evidence that a roost can be removed without further assessment.

  • Use the least damaging access route and avoid placing materials, lighting or machinery beneath retained roost trees.
  • Maintain a site-specific no-go area around confirmed and suspected roosts. Set the distance with the ecologist, arborist and approval conditions, taking account of tree stability, vibration, lighting, noise and the likely flight path.
  • Do not prune, fell, burn, fill or seal a hollow-bearing tree until it has been assessed for bats.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Colonies and breeding places

A maternity roost may be a large hollow in an old eucalypt that provides a humid, sheltered nursery. Females gather in groups and pups may be clustered inside the hollow. Males commonly roost alone under loose bark or in dead and large trees.

Eastern Forest Bats can show site fidelity, but the strength and duration of fidelity are poorly known. Assume that a suitable hollow may be reused, even when bats are not detected during one inspection.

Queensland transport guidance treats microbats as colonial breeders during the breeding season. Any roost where young are raised is a breeding place.

  • Mark the tree or structure and establish a clearly signed exclusion zone.
  • Do not fell or seal an active maternity roost during the breeding period unless specifically authorised and directed by the relevant approval and bat ecologist.
  • Use emergence watches, acoustic monitoring and repeat inspections to determine whether a suspected roost is active.
  • Do not rely on bat boxes as a reason to remove a natural maternity hollow. Boxes are supplementary and may not replace the temperature, humidity and security of a large tree cavity.

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

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before works begin. Recheck trees that have changed condition, trees with new bat records and any tree within the work area that was not previously assessed.

Use a two-stage or soft felling method for hollow-bearing trees where removal is approved. The method should allow animals to leave safely and should reduce the chance of crushing bats inside the cavity.

Use exclusion devices only where a bat ecologist confirms that they are suitable and outside the maternity season. Do not exclude females, pups or dependent young from a maternity roost.

  • Induct all workers on likely roost features, the appearance of bats and pups, the stop-work process and the location of exclusion zones.
  • Place a fauna spotter catcher with authority to stop work in control of each relevant clearing front.
  • Brief operators that bats may be under loose bark, in dead trees or in cavities that are not visible from the ground.
  • Prepare a safe holding container, gloves, cloth bags where appropriate, and a contact list for an authorised wildlife carer or veterinarian.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep a qualified fauna spotter catcher at the work face. Stop immediately if a bat, colony, roost or active breeding place is found or if the approved method cannot be followed.

Clearly mark the approved clearing limits and retain all no-go areas. Fell non-hollow vegetation first, then reassess the remaining hollow-bearing trees and structures.

Use two-stage or soft felling for approved hollow-bearing tree removal. Where safe, first disturb or lower branches and sections in a controlled manner, then leave the tree or section for inspection before final handling.

Allow time for bats to leave naturally. Do not shake, burn, flood, poison, fumigate or force animals from a cavity.

  • Direct machinery away from retained roost trees and known flight paths.
  • Stop work during rain, extreme heat or unsafe conditions if the approved method or animal welfare could be compromised.
  • Keep observers clear of falling trees and do not ask workers to enter hollows, roofs, culverts or other confined spaces.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work triggers and active breeding places

The fauna spotter catcher must have authority to stop work without waiting for supervisor approval. Stop work if a bat is seen, heard or found in a tree, structure, machinery or spoil, or if a colony, roost, pup or breeding place is suspected.

Protect the tree or structure in place and notify the project ecologist and environmental manager. Keep people, machinery, noise and lighting away while the finding is assessed.

If an active maternity roost is found, do not fell, seal, prune or exclude the roost. Follow the approved SMP, permit and ecologist instructions. Replan the work around the breeding place unless a lawful and humane alternative has been approved.

  • Extend the exclusion area if bats are flying, circling or attempting to return to the roost.
  • Do not relocate a colony or pups unless this is specifically authorised and directed by an appropriately qualified bat specialist.
  • Record the finding, location, tree or structure details, evidence of breeding, photographs, actions taken and the name of the decision-maker.
  • Resume work only after the fauna spotter catcher and environmental manager confirm that the control measures are in place.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and animal welfare

Only an authorised and trained person may handle a bat. Avoid direct contact and use appropriate bite and scratch precautions. Bats can carry pathogens, and untrained workers must not pick them up.

Keep a captured bat calm, shaded and protected from heat, cold, rain, ants, dogs and machinery. Do not feed or release an injured, cold, wet or compromised bat without specialist advice.

  • Place a healthy displaced bat in a suitable temporary container only on the advice of the authorised handler.
  • Release a healthy bat near suitable retained habitat and at a time and location approved by the bat ecologist.
  • Treat pups, lactating females, grounded bats, bats caught in netting and bats with wing damage as urgent cases.
  • Contact the designated wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority for injured animals. Record the advice and outcome.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Daily records and communication

Maintain a daily fauna log for every clearing front. The log should be completed by the fauna spotter catcher and checked by the site environmental representative.

Communicate any change in tree condition, weather, clearing sequence, animal finding or approval condition during the pre-start meeting.

  • Record dates, work areas, trees removed, trees retained, survey checks, bats observed, animals handled, releases, injuries, stop-work events and notifications.
  • Record the species where confirmed, or describe the animal and retain photographs and acoustic files where identification is uncertain.
  • Report any breach of the SMP, permit, exclusion zone or clearing method immediately through the incident system.
  • Keep records with the project environmental file and provide them to the regulator or approval holder when required.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Do not close out the fauna controls when the tree is on the ground. Check the work area, confirm that retained habitat and exclusion measures remain effective, and review every incident before the next clearing stage.

Inspect the cleared area, felled tree sections, machinery, stockpiles, trenches, buildings and temporary structures for bats or other fauna. Check cavities and bark sections before they are moved, chipped, burnt or buried.

Complete checks after each clearing stage and again before the area is handed to the next contractor. Pay particular attention to trees felled using a soft clearing method.

  • Search shaded ground, bark slabs, hollow sections, culverts and materials that could shelter a bat.
  • Confirm that no bat remains trapped in a building, bridge, culvert, trench or construction compound.
  • Record the inspection time, people involved, areas checked and results.
  • Leave any section containing a live bat undisturbed until the authorised handler provides instructions.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated and released animals

Confirm the condition and outcome of every bat that was handled or relocated. A release record should identify the animal, release location, time, habitat condition and person responsible.

Where a bat is retained for assessment, obtain follow-up information from the wildlife carer or veterinarian. Do not release an injured or dependent animal without professional clearance.

  • Check that release points provide shelter, tree cover and a safe flight path.
  • Do not release bats into direct construction lighting, active haul routes or exposed areas.
  • Record any mortality, delayed release, treatment or transfer to care.
  • Review whether the relocation method was suitable and whether further monitoring is needed.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained hollow-bearing trees and confirmed roost areas where required by the approval, SMP or project risk assessment. Use emergence watches, acoustic detectors and repeat inspections where a maternity roost was nearby or disturbance occurred.

Report confirmed roosts, breeding places, injuries, mortalities, exclusion failures and unexpected clearing impacts to the approval holder and relevant authority within the required timeframe.

  • Compare post-clearing records with the pre-clearance tree and roost map.
  • Check that exclusion zones, retained trees, riparian buffers and replacement structures remain intact.
  • Use the same locations and methods for repeat acoustic or emergence monitoring where practical.
  • Keep raw data, photographs, maps, approvals, incident forms and monitoring reports together.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Hold a short review after any stop-work event, injury, mortality, active breeding-place discovery or unplanned tree removal. Include the fauna spotter catcher, site supervisor, ecologist and environmental manager.

Use the review to correct the work method before the next clearing stage.

  • Identify what happened, why the control failed or was triggered, and whether the animal was affected.
  • Update the induction, clearing sequence, exclusion map, equipment or supervision arrangements.
  • Notify the regulator or approval holder where the approval, SMP or permit requires it.
  • Close the action only when the revised control has been implemented and communicated.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roosting and breeding habitat

Rehabilitation should restore the features used for roosting, foraging and movement through the site. Natural old trees and hollows remain the preferred resource, so replacement structures should support, not replace, their retention.

Protect retained mature eucalypts, hollow-bearing trees, dead trees and loose-bark habitat. Restore native canopy and understorey connections around retained trees and along gullies and drainage lines.

Where safe, retain suitable hollow sections from felled trees on the ground or install them as habitat features under an ecologist-approved design. Do not place them where they create a fire, fall or public safety hazard.

  • Use local native species suited to rainforest gullies and wet sclerophyll forest.
  • Replace cleared vegetation with a layered structure that provides canopy, understorey and sheltered flight routes.
  • Retain fallen timber and bark where it does not create a site hazard.
  • Protect young plantings from grazing, mowing, fire and compaction until established.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Bat boxes and artificial roosts

Bat boxes may provide supplementary shelter where suitable natural hollows are absent or temporarily unavailable. They are not a guaranteed replacement for a mature-tree maternity hollow and should not justify removal of an active breeding place.

Use a design, material, placement and maintenance schedule recommended by a bat ecologist for the local climate and species group. Eastern Forest Bat requirements for artificial maternity roosts are poorly known.

  • Install boxes only after checking tree stability, access, temperature, shade, rain exposure and likely flight paths.
  • Use more than one suitable option where the project requires replacement roosting habitat, rather than relying on a single box.
  • Do not install boxes over roads, active work areas or places where falling debris could injure people.
  • Inspect boxes for occupancy, damage, overheating, ants, wasps and water ingress without disturbing breeding bats.
  • Record installation locations and maintain them for the period required by the approval or management plan.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, weeds and fire

Protect moist gullies, riparian vegetation and nearby water that support insect prey and movement through the landscape. Eastern Forest Bats are associated with moist conditions, rainforest gullies and neighbouring wet sclerophyll habitat.

Control weeds without removing native roost trees, loose bark or dense shelter that is being used by bats.

  • Prevent sediment, fuel, concrete washout and chemicals from entering waterways or wet areas.
  • Use low-impact weed control around retained trees and avoid herbicide drift into hollows, bark or occupied structures.
  • Plan fire management so that hollow-bearing trees, dead trees and rehabilitation plantings are not unnecessarily lost.
  • Replace failed plants and repair erosion promptly.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting and long-term monitoring

Keep artificial light away from retained roosts, gullies, riparian corridors and likely flight paths. Use the lowest practical intensity, shield lights downwards and avoid unnecessary overnight lighting.

Monitor restored habitat and artificial roosts in accordance with approval conditions and project risk. Acoustic monitoring, emergence watches and roost inspections can assess whether bats continue to use the area.

  • Use warm, low-glare lighting where lighting cannot be avoided, subject to safety requirements.
  • Retain dark links between roosting trees, foraging habitat and water.
  • Monitor plant survival, weed cover, tree condition, box condition and bat activity.
  • Review monitoring results with the ecologist and adjust lighting, maintenance, weed control or replacement structures if bats are not using the rehabilitated area.

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