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Little Red Flying-fox (Pteropus scapulatus)

The little red flying-fox is a highly mobile, nectar-feeding flying-fox found across northern and eastern Australia, including inland areas. It can form very large camps in trees, sometimes near clearing and construction sites, so works can affect many animals at once. It is listed as least concern in Australia, but it is protected wildlife and is a colonial breeder. In Queensland, higher risk management requirements apply to tampering with its breeding places.

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 Little Red Flying-fox mates from November to January and usually gives birth from April to May. Breeding camps can form in late spring and early summer, but timing and camp size vary with flowering, fruiting and water availability across Australia.

Breeding mode: Mammal that gives birth to live young. Females usually have one pup each year.

Mating: November to January.

Births: Usually April to May. The birthing period may extend into June.

Gestation: Not recorded for the Little Red Flying-fox. A related flying-fox breeding pattern has a gestation period of about five to six months.

Young and weaning: Pups are carried for three to four weeks, then left in crèche groups while females forage. Young begin short flights at about three months, roost near their mothers for about four months, and are weaned at about five to six months.

Maturity: Females generally mature in their second year. Males generally mature in their third year.

Colonies and breeding places: Breeding places are communal tree camps, often near water and food. Camps may range from a handful of animals to tens or hundreds of thousands, and occasionally more than one million. Little Red Flying-foxes often hang in tight groups and may share camps with other flying-fox species. An active camp is indicated by bats hanging in trees during the day, repeated use of the same trees, daytime calls, fresh droppings, dusk departures and, during the breeding period, females carrying pups or young gathered in crèche groups. Individuals may return to a camp, but camp use is flexible and not strongly faithful.

Care of colonies and breeding places: Treat an occupied camp as a breeding place even when pups are not immediately visible. Colonies can hold a large share of the local population, and disturbance can separate mothers from pups, cause harmful movement through trees, or trigger heat stress. In Queensland, tampering with a breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder requires the higher risk species management program. Flying-fox roost works are also regulated under Queensland flying-fox roost management codes. Use the applicable camp buffer, work outside the birthing and crèche period, never work in a camp at night or on hot days, and monitor for heat stress when temperatures reach 38 degrees or more.

Timing can shift between regions and years as flowering, fruiting, water availability, heat and food shortages change, so confirm current camp occupancy and young before works and follow the applicable state or territory approvals, buffers and heat stress controls.

  • Mating: Mating is recorded from November to January, with the January period overlapping the start of the birth cycle later in the year.
  • Breeding camps and colony concentration: Large breeding camps form mainly in late spring and early summer, and camps are often largest during the breeding season.
  • Births: Births usually occur in April and May, with rescue guidance recognising a birthing period extending into June.
  • Dependent young and crèches: Pups are dependent after birth, are carried for three to four weeks, then remain in crèche groups while mothers forage and begin flying at about three months.
  • Nomadic camp shifts and night feeding: Camp use follows flowering and fruiting resources, so Little Red Flying-foxes may shift camps every one to two months and forage at night throughout the year.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk period is when breeding camps and dependent young overlap, especially November to January and April to May, so avoid clearing or camp disturbance during the applicable breeding and crèche period.

Identification: Appearance and size

The little red flying-fox is the smallest Australian flying-fox. It is active at night and roosts communally in trees during the day.

Fur is usually reddish brown to light brown, with a greyish head and lighter fur around the shoulder and wing base. Individuals in the Northern Territory can be much darker.

Adults weigh about 200 to 600 g, commonly 300 to 600 g. The species is smaller than the black flying-fox and other Australian flying-foxes.

Wing length: About 125 to 155 mm

Body length: About 12 to 20 cm

  • Wings are brown and partly translucent in flight.
  • The species has jointed thumbs and climbs or clambers through trees while feeding and roosting.
  • It usually roosts more tightly packed and closer to the ground than other flying-fox species.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Little red flying-foxes are noisy at camps, particularly when settling, feeding or disturbed. Calls may include shrieks and squabbling sounds.

Flying-foxes do not echolocate. They use vision and other senses to move and find food.

The main species likely to be confused with it on Queensland works sites are the black flying-fox, grey-headed flying-fox and spectacled flying-fox. Camps may contain more than one species, so visual identification should be confirmed before species-specific decisions are made.

  • Look for the smaller size and reddish or light brown fur.
  • Do not rely on colour alone. Fur colour varies, and poor light makes field identification difficult.
  • Use photographs, experienced personnel or specialist advice where species identification affects a permit or management decision.

Identification: Field signs

Daytime camps are the clearest field sign. Look for bats hanging in trees, often in dense, close groups, with activity increasing around dusk.

Droppings may occur below feeding or roost trees. They can be soft and fruit or nectar coloured, but droppings alone do not reliably identify the species.

Nests, tree hollows, caves and burrows are not used as the characteristic breeding structures. Breeding and rearing occur in communal tree camps.

  • Hanging bats and repeated daytime calling in trees.
  • Accumulations of droppings below roost or feeding trees.
  • Broken or heavily loaded branches where large groups have used a tree.
  • A strong camp odour, noise and fresh droppings, especially where a camp is occupied regularly.

Distribution: Australian range

The little red flying-fox has the broadest distribution of Australia’s mainland flying-foxes. Its movements are driven mainly by flowering and fruiting resources rather than by a fixed migration route.

The species occurs across northern and eastern Australia, extending inland along rivers and other productive areas. It is recorded in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and its range also extends into South Australia.

It is widespread across northern and north-western Australia, although some remote areas are less well surveyed.

  • Queensland, across much of the state.
  • New South Wales and Victoria, including areas where flowering resources support seasonal camps.
  • Northern Territory and Western Australia, including inland and northern areas.
  • South Australia, where the species is mapped even though some roost surveys have recorded few or no sites.

Distribution: Movement pattern

This is a highly nomadic species. Animals may move between camps as flowering trees become available, and a camp can change from a few animals to a very large aggregation in a short time.

Little red flying-foxes may move every one to two months when local food resources change. They can travel up to 50 km from a camp to feed during a night.

  • Check nearby trees and watercourses even when no camp is present on the day of inspection.
  • A vacant camp may be historically used or temporarily unoccupied rather than permanently abandoned.
  • Review current camp records and recent local observations before clearing or construction begins.

Distribution: Site assessment

A single inspection can miss a transient camp or a seasonal influx. Assessments should consider flowering conditions, recent weather, nearby camps and the availability of suitable roost trees.

The species may share a camp with black or grey-headed flying-foxes, particularly during periods of high food availability or breeding activity.

  • Inspect during daylight for occupied trees and fresh signs.
  • Check trees near water, flowering or fruiting vegetation, wetlands, mangroves and established camps.
  • Allow for changes in camp location when planning staged works.

Habitat: Vegetation and landscape

Little red flying-foxes use a broad range of habitats, from rainforest and open forest to semi-arid inland areas. On works sites, focus on connected tree cover, flowering resources, water and sheltered daytime roosting areas.

The species is associated with rainforest, sclerophyll forest, woodland, paperbark swamp, mangroves and flowering eucalypt landscapes. It can also use scattered trees, regrowth, planted vegetation and urban parks.

Roosts and feeding areas may occur in highly modified landscapes. A site does not need to contain intact forest to be suitable habitat.

  • Eucalypt and bloodwood woodland.
  • Paperbark swamps and other wet areas.
  • Mangroves, rainforest and creekside vegetation.
  • Urban parks, gardens, streetscapes, orchards and scattered mature trees.

Habitat: Features to check on site

Look for mature trees with suitable branches for hanging, especially where they are close to water and flowering or fruiting vegetation. Camps are often in relatively level areas, although tree structure and food availability are more useful indicators than terrain alone.

Little red flying-foxes can roost in native or introduced trees, from low mangroves to tall trees.

  • Watercourses, wetlands, dams and other free-standing water.
  • Large or emergent trees with spreading crowns and safe hanging branches.
  • Sheltered patches with shade and limited night-time disturbance.
  • Links between remnant vegetation, planted trees and known feeding areas.

Habitat: Works planning

Treat connected tree cover as potential flying-fox habitat even if no animals are present during the initial inspection. Food availability can cause sudden arrivals and large temporary aggregations.

Avoid removing food and roost resources together. Retain suitable trees and provide alternative planting where loss cannot be avoided.

  • Plan clearing in stages and inspect before each stage.
  • Include nearby trees and access routes in the assessment, not only the proposed footprint.
  • Consider both native and introduced flowering or fruiting plants when assessing habitat value.

Foraging habitat: Food plants

The little red flying-fox is almost entirely nectarivorous and follows flowering plants across large areas. Foraging habitat can extend well beyond the project footprint and may connect several camps.

The main foods are nectar and pollen from flowering trees and vines. Important resources include eucalypts, Corymbia, paperbarks, melaleucas, Angophora, Grevillea, Bauhinia and other native flowering plants.

Fruit, including native figs, forms a smaller part of the diet. Orchards and planted fruit trees may be used when blossom is scarce.

  • Eucalyptus and Corymbia species.
  • Melaleuca and paperbark vegetation.
  • Angophora, Grevillea and other nectar-producing plants.
  • Native figs and fruiting trees, including suitable planted trees.

Foraging habitat: Foraging signs and behaviour

Animals leave camps around dusk and return around dawn. Feeding activity may be heard in flowering crowns at night, although the bats can be difficult to see in dense vegetation.

Flying-foxes carry pollen between trees and disperse seeds in their droppings. They may revisit known feeding sites or move on when flowering finishes.

  • Fresh droppings below flowering or fruiting trees.
  • Night-time movement between a camp and flowering vegetation.
  • Noise in flowering crowns after dusk.
  • Pollen or nectar feeding activity in mature tree canopies.

Foraging habitat: Construction and clearing considerations

Removing a flowering tree can reduce food available to a nearby camp and may shift animals into orchards, streetscapes or other conflict areas. Works near flowering trees should be assessed even when the trees are outside the camp itself.

The main nocturnal feeding zone commonly extends around 25 km from a roost, although movements can be wider.

  • Map flowering and fruiting trees within and around the site.
  • Avoid clearing during a major flowering event where practicable.
  • Retain corridors between camps, waterways and feeding areas.
  • Include planted and exotic food sources in the habitat assessment.

Breeding habitat: Breeding cycle

Breeding occurs in communal camps rather than in nests or hollows. A camp can contain mating animals, pregnant females, mothers, dependent young and crèche groups at the same time.

Mating is generally from November to January. Young are usually born in April and May, with some rescue guidance treating April to June as the birthing period.

Females generally produce one pup each year. A pup is carried by its mother for the first three to four weeks, then remains with other young in a crèche while females forage.

Typical litter size: One pup

Female sexual maturity: Generally in the second year

Male sexual maturity: Generally in the third year

  • Young begin short flights at about three months of age.
  • Young may remain near their mothers for about four months after becoming mobile.
  • Young are dependent on the camp and adults even after they begin flying.

Breeding habitat: Breeding places

Breeding places are tree camps where adults mate, give birth and rear young. The same camp may be used by several flying-fox species.

A breeding camp may be very large and may form in late spring and early summer, while births occur in late autumn or early winter. This timing is offset from the breeding cycle of the black, grey-headed and spectacled flying-foxes.

  • Look for dense groups of adults and young in the same trees.
  • Listen for increased daytime calling and movement within the camp.
  • Check for mothers carrying pups or young clustered in crèche groups.
  • Treat a camp as a potential breeding place until its status is assessed by a suitably qualified person.

Breeding habitat: Timing of works

Avoid disturbing occupied breeding camps, particularly during the birthing and crèche period. If work cannot be avoided, obtain the required approvals and use a species-appropriate management plan.

In Queensland, the little red flying-fox is a least concern colonial breeder. Tampering with its breeding place requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

  • Schedule noisy or intrusive work outside the birthing and crèche period where practicable.
  • Do not assume a camp is inactive because adults are absent during the day or because numbers have temporarily fallen.
  • Obtain advice before removing trees that support an occupied or recently occupied camp.

Sheltering habitat: Roost structure

During the day, little red flying-foxes shelter by hanging from trees in communal camps. Camps may be permanent, seasonal, occasional or historically used, and they can shift as food and water conditions change.

Suitable roosts may occur in low mangroves, paperbarks, rainforest trees, eucalypts, planted trees and tall emergent trees. The species often hangs in tight groups and may roost nearer to the ground than other flying-foxes.

Roost trees are usually close to water and food resources, but camps can also occur in parks, gardens, town centres, agricultural areas and other modified landscapes.

  • Dense canopy with branches suitable for hanging.
  • Shade and shelter from heat and weather.
  • Water nearby for drinking and evaporative cooling.
  • A relatively quiet daytime location with room for the camp to expand.

Sheltering habitat: Camp occupancy

Some camps retain a small number of animals after most of the colony has moved. Others are transient and may form when food is scarce elsewhere.

Little red flying-foxes are not faithful to one camp. An individual may return to a previous camp, move between camps or remain away for extended periods.

  • Record fresh animals, droppings, noise and damaged or heavily loaded branches.
  • Check the camp at different times and during different flowering conditions.
  • Use current monitoring data where available, but verify conditions on the ground before works.

Sheltering habitat: Roost protection on works sites

In Queensland, flying-fox roost management is regulated under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Councils have as-of-right authority for roosts inside urban flying-fox management areas. Other roost management generally requires a flying-fox roost management permit.

Dispersal or destruction of a roost is not allowed while flying-foxes are breeding with dependent young or during heat stress events.

  • Maintain the applicable camp buffer and follow the approved management method.
  • Work outside the birthing and crèche period where practicable.
  • Monitor for heat stress, including days when temperatures reach 38 degrees or more.
  • Never work in a camp at night or on hot days.
  • Use the Queensland codes of practice for ecologically sustainable roost management and low impact activities where they apply.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony looks like

A colony or maternity roost is a group of flying-foxes using trees together during the day for shelter, breeding and raising young. Colonies need special care because one site can contain a large share of the local population and disturbance can affect many animals at once.

A camp may occupy one or more patches of trees. Animals hang from branches in dense clusters, often with overlapping wings and frequent movement between trees.

Camps may range from a handful of animals to many tens of thousands. Large aggregations can reach hundreds of thousands, and breeding camps can contain up to one million little red flying-foxes.

Typical camp range: A handful of animals to tens or hundreds of thousands

Largest breeding camps: Up to one million animals

  • Hanging bats visible in tree crowns during daylight.
  • Dense groups in several adjacent trees.
  • Repeated daytime calling, wing movement and climbing through the canopy.
  • Fresh droppings and odour beneath occupied trees.

Colonies and breeding places: Maternity roosts and crèches

A maternity roost is an occupied camp where females give birth and young are reared. Mothers initially carry their pups, then leave them in crèche groups while they forage at night.

Young may be present even when the camp appears quiet. They can remain dependent on the camp after they begin flying.

  • Look for adults carrying pups in the early weeks after birth.
  • Look for groups of young clustered together in the camp.
  • Treat an occupied camp during the breeding season as a potential maternity roost.
  • Do not enter or clear a camp to check for young without the appropriate authority and specialist controls.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

An active breeding place is indicated by occupied roost trees, adult and juvenile animals, crèche groups, recent births, or regular use during the breeding period. Recent signs beneath trees can support the assessment but do not replace a direct inspection by an experienced observer.

Because camps can be mixed species and change quickly, record species, numbers, locations, age classes and signs across the whole site.

  • Inspect before works and again immediately before clearing.
  • Map occupied and recently occupied trees, not just the main camp area.
  • Check for dependent young before any disturbance or dispersal activity.
  • Stop and seek advice if young, injured animals or heat-stressed bats are observed.

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

Colonial breeding means that a single tree patch can support a large number of animals and dependent young. Disturbance can cause daytime flight, separation of mothers and young, falls, injury, heat stress and movement into unsafe areas.

In Queensland, tampering with a breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder is subject to the high risk species management program requirements. Protection does not depend only on whether the species is listed as threatened.

  • Keep people, dogs, vehicles and machinery away from the camp unless authorised.
  • Avoid chainsaws, loud bangs, aircraft activity and other sudden disturbance near occupied trees.
  • Use qualified fauna spotter catchers and follow the approved management plan.
  • Record and report any change in camp behaviour during works.

Threats: Clearing and habitat loss

The main risks on development and land management sites come from loss of roost and feeding trees, disturbance of occupied camps, entanglement and heat stress. Least concern status does not remove the need to manage these risks.

Removing mature roost trees, flowering trees or vegetation along waterways can reduce shelter and food. Loss of several nearby resources may push a camp into residential areas, orchards or other unsafe locations.

Roosts can occur in urban, agricultural and modified landscapes, so development sites should not be screened out solely because they are disturbed.

  • Retain occupied and suitable roost trees where practicable.
  • Protect connected vegetation between camps, water and feeding areas.
  • Stage clearing and reassess before each stage.
  • Replace lost food resources with suitable native flowering trees where approved.

Threats: Disturbance and dispersal

Machinery, chainsaws, loud bangs, people walking through a camp, dogs, birds of prey and aircraft can trigger daytime disturbance. Repeated disturbance can cause stress, injury and abandonment.

In Queensland, roost dispersal and destruction are regulated. Do not attempt informal dispersal or remove an occupied camp.

  • Use camp buffers and approved work methods.
  • Work outside the birthing and crèche period where possible.
  • Never work in a camp at night or on hot days.
  • Stop work if bats begin sustained daytime flight or show signs of distress.

Threats: Heat stress

Flying-foxes are vulnerable to heat stress when conditions are hot and still. Crowded camps can be particularly affected, and disturbance during hot weather can increase the risk of falls and death.

Queensland roost management requires attention to heat stress events, including days of 38 degrees or more.

  • Monitor temperature forecasts and conditions at the camp.
  • Do not disturb or undertake camp works on hot days.
  • Check for panting, wing fanning, climbing down trees, falling animals or dead bats.
  • Seek experienced wildlife assistance immediately if heat stress is suspected.

Threats: Entanglement, injury and human health

Barbed wire and fruit netting are common causes of injury. Flying-foxes may also be injured by vehicles, power lines, domestic animals and storms.

Flying-foxes can carry Australian bat lyssavirus. Only vaccinated, experienced handlers should touch them. An unvaccinated person must not handle a flying-fox.

  • Replace or mark hazardous barbed wire with tape, flags, metal tags or empty aluminium cans where appropriate.
  • Keep dogs and other domestic animals away from camps and injured wildlife.
  • Do not handle sick, injured or dead flying-foxes without the required training and vaccination.
  • After a bite or scratch, flush the wound with disinfectant and seek medical attention immediately.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Little Red Flying-foxes are nocturnal, highly mobile and often occur in mixed-species camps. Surveys should focus on daytime roosts, dusk departures, flowering and fruiting resources, and evidence of breeding activity.

Check current flying-fox camp records, aerial imagery, recent roost counts and local council information before visiting the site. Review the Australian Flying-fox Monitor and contact the relevant land manager or council.

Map trees, waterways, wetlands, mangroves, open forest, rainforest, orchards and planted flowering trees. Consider habitat within at least 25 km of a roost as a potential primary foraging area, while recognising that the species can travel much farther when following food resources.

Review the timing of local flowering and fruiting. Little Red Flying-foxes are nomadic and may arrive suddenly when eucalypts, bloodwoods, paperbarks or other food plants flower.

  • Record known camps, historical camps, seasonal camps and nearby roosts.
  • Identify proposed clearing, crane paths, access tracks, night lighting and noisy work areas.
  • Check whether the site contains trees suitable for a camp, particularly tall or emergent trees near water and food resources.

Survey methodology: 2. Daytime camp and roost survey

Search suitable trees during daylight, when flying-foxes are roosting. Inspect the full canopy, lower branches, nearby trees and ground beneath the camp. Little Red Flying-foxes can roost close together and often roost lower than other flying-fox species.

Allow enough time to inspect all suitable vegetation across the site and adjoining areas. Repeat the inspection where food availability, weather or recent reports suggest that camp use may change quickly.

A camp may contain a handful of animals, many tens of thousands, or occasionally hundreds of thousands. Mixed-species camps are common. Identify the species present where practicable, but manage the site for all flying-foxes if identification is uncertain.

  • Record the number of animals, occupied trees, species present and whether animals are tightly clustered.
  • Look for pups, females carrying young, crèche groups and young making short flights.
  • Record camp boundaries, roost trees, nearby water, shade, access points and any signs of recent occupation.
  • Photograph the site from outside the camp and mark locations on a plan.

Survey methodology: 3. Dusk activity survey

Where a camp or likely roost is present, observe from outside the camp at dusk. Use a quiet, fixed observation point and avoid entering the roost. Record the direction and timing of departures, flight paths, low flying animals and movements towards flowering or fruiting trees.

Do not conduct work or enter a camp at night. A dusk observation should be completed from a safe distance and should not disturb the animals.

  • Record weather, temperature, wind, rainfall, light conditions and the start and end time of observations.
  • Record approximate numbers leaving, departure direction, species if known and any return flights.
  • Map flight paths across roads, powerlines, construction areas and proposed crane or cable corridors.
  • Repeat observations when the site is likely to be used seasonally or when an initial survey is inconclusive.

Survey methodology: 4. Foraging and breeding evidence

Inspect flowering and fruiting trees, feeding remains, fresh droppings and flight paths. Little Red Flying-foxes feed mainly on nectar and pollen, with fruit and leaves also used. They may travel up to 50 km from a camp during a night.

Treat a camp as a potential breeding place where breeding activity is present or likely. Young are born mainly in April and May. Birthing and crèche activity can extend into the period from April to June, so assess the camp carefully during this period.

  • Record flowering species, fruiting species, food abundance and the condition of likely roost trees.
  • Record dependent young, mothers carrying young, crèche groups, juveniles making short flights and adults returning to young.
  • Record heat stress risk, including forecasts and days at or above 38 degrees Celsius.
  • Seek specialist advice where breeding status cannot be confirmed from the ground.

Survey methodology: 5. Survey records and decision points

Use the survey results to define the camp or breeding-place boundary, the area requiring protection and the work conditions. A single quiet visit may not represent use of a highly mobile species.

Keep all field records with the project environmental documentation. Record the basis for decisions to proceed, modify, postpone or stop work.

  • Record surveyors, qualifications, dates, times, weather, effort, methods and observation points.
  • Record all animals seen, including dead, injured or entangled animals.
  • Record photographs, maps, counts, species identifications, breeding observations and consultation outcomes.
  • State whether the site is an active camp, a potential breeding place, a former camp, a feeding area or not used by flying-foxes during the survey.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and permits

Avoiding a camp or breeding place is the preferred control. Before clearing or construction, confirm the approval pathway, complete a current survey and give the work crew clear stop work instructions.

Check whether the project needs assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. The Little Red Flying-fox is not listed as threatened, but an EPBC referral may still be needed if another protected matter could be affected.

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

Queensland flying-fox roost management is also regulated under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. Confirm whether the council has as-of-right authority for the roost within an urban flying-fox management area. Otherwise obtain the required flying-fox roost management permit.

  • Confirm state or territory wildlife approvals before work starts.
  • Obtain permits for catching, handling, rehabilitating, relocating or releasing wildlife where required.
  • Confirm landholder, council and project approval conditions in writing.
  • Use a suitably qualified ecologist to check whether the activity is tampering with a breeding place, disturbing a roost or dispersing or destroying a camp.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Set out avoidance areas and timing

Keep the camp, roost trees, breeding place and associated access routes undisturbed wherever practicable. Establish a clearly marked buffer around the camp and obtain ecologist or regulator approval before reducing it.

Do not disperse or destroy a Queensland roost while flying-foxes are breeding with dependent young or during a heat stress event. Schedule high disturbance work outside the birthing and crèche period where practicable, particularly April to June.

Do not work in a camp at night or on hot days. Plan for postponement when temperatures are forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius or more, and arrange heat stress monitoring during high risk weather.

  • Fence or flag the approved no-go area before machinery arrives.
  • Keep workers, vehicles, dogs, lighting and noisy equipment outside the buffer.
  • Retain flowering and fruiting trees, shade, water access and suitable roost trees where possible.
  • Do not assume a temporarily empty camp has been abandoned. Recheck before work.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Complete the pre-clearance check

Complete a final inspection shortly before disturbance. Check every tree, the canopy, lower branches and ground for roosting animals, dependent young, injured animals and signs of recent camp use.

Where a breeding place, active camp or occupied roost is found, stop the planned disturbance and obtain advice before proceeding. A pre-clearance check does not authorise disturbance of a protected breeding place.

  • Survey during daylight and use a qualified fauna spotter catcher or ecologist with flying-fox experience.
  • Check for females with dependent young, crèche groups and animals unable to fly.
  • Confirm that all approved exclusion zones remain intact and visible.
  • Document the inspection with counts, photographs, maps, weather and a signed clearance record.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Induct the crew

Give every worker a short site briefing before entry. Explain that flying-foxes are protected wildlife and that the fauna spotter catcher can stop work at any time.

Explain that workers must not touch, chase, capture, feed or move a flying-fox. Only authorised and appropriately vaccinated people should handle these animals.

  • Show the camp boundary, buffer, access routes, first aid location and emergency contacts.
  • Explain the stop work signal and the process for reporting an animal or roost.
  • Prohibit dogs, unnecessary lighting, loud bangs, chainsaws and machinery near the camp.
  • Tell workers never to enter a camp at night or on a hot day.

Before habitat disturbance: 5. Prepare the response arrangements

Have a written response plan before clearing begins. The plan should cover an occupied camp, a dependent young animal, an injured animal, an entangled animal, heat stress and an unexpected roost.

Arrange contact details for the project ecologist, fauna spotter catcher, wildlife carer, veterinarian, council and the relevant regulator.

  • Provide suitable containers, protective equipment and a quiet holding area for use only by authorised handlers.
  • Confirm the nearest experienced wildlife carer or veterinarian before work starts.
  • Set up a temperature and weather monitoring process for the work area.
  • Ensure the project has a record form for incidents, animal care, approvals and notifications.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear in stages

Use a staged, low disturbance approach and keep the fauna spotter catcher in control of the work face. Stop work whenever an animal, active breeding place or occupied roost changes the approved risk level.

Use sequential clearing from the least sensitive edge towards retained habitat. Start with low risk vegetation and keep escape routes open to adjacent trees and undisturbed areas.

Avoid sudden removal of all shade or roost trees. Do not isolate a camp between active work areas, roads, lighting or machinery.

The fauna spotter catcher must inspect each work area immediately before clearing and remain able to direct the operator.

  • Clear only the area released by the fauna spotter catcher.
  • Use slow machinery movements and stop for visual checks before felling or removing branches.
  • Retain occupied or potentially occupied roost trees until they have been assessed and approved for removal.
  • Keep lighting, noise and vehicle movements away from the camp.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Apply stop work authority

The fauna spotter catcher must stop work if a flying-fox is found, if a dependent young animal is suspected, or if the work approaches an active camp or breeding place. Work must not resume until the risk is assessed and the approved controls are confirmed.

Treat an active breeding place as a no-go area until the relevant approval and management requirements have been met.

  • Stop machinery and make the area quiet.
  • Establish a temporary exclusion zone around the animal or roost.
  • Keep people outside the zone and prevent dogs or vehicles entering.
  • Contact the project ecologist and regulator or council where the approval requires notification.
  • Record the decision, advice received and conditions for restarting work.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Respond to an occupied camp or roost

Do not disperse, destroy or tamper with a Queensland roost during breeding with dependent young or during a heat stress event. Do not enter the camp at night or on hot days.

If animals begin calling, circling, falling, panting or showing other signs of heat stress, stop work, withdraw people and machinery, provide space and contact an experienced flying-fox response service.

  • Maintain the approved camp buffer and prevent disturbance from machinery, chainsaws, loud bangs and people walking through the colony.
  • Monitor temperature and animal behaviour on days at or above 38 degrees Celsius.
  • Postpone work when heat stress risk is high.
  • Do not attempt unauthorised dispersal, relocation or destruction of the roost.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Handle animals safely

Only authorised, trained and appropriately vaccinated handlers may touch a flying-fox. Unvaccinated workers must not handle one, even if it appears dead or unable to fly.

Australian bat lyssavirus can be transmitted by a bite or scratch. If contact occurs, wash the wound immediately with disinfectant and seek urgent medical attention.

  • Keep the area quiet and prevent further contact.
  • Do not release an entangled or injured animal without assessment by an experienced carer or veterinarian.
  • Check a female found during the April to June birthing period for a dependent pup, but leave examination and removal to an authorised handler.
  • Use a wildlife rescue service, experienced carer or veterinarian for injured animals.
  • Record the animal location, condition, species, action taken and receiving carer or veterinarian.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Manage records and incidents

Keep a daily fauna log throughout disturbance. Record both planned controls and unexpected events. This provides evidence that the approval conditions were followed and supports later review.

Report incidents as required by the approval, species management program, permit or council direction.

  • Record start and finish times, work areas, weather, temperature, observers and machinery used.
  • Record all stop work events, animals seen, roost activity, injuries, handling and releases.
  • Record any breach of a buffer, unexpected clearing, heat stress event or unauthorised disturbance.
  • Attach photographs, maps, permits, notifications and rehabilitation directions.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Complete the final fauna inspection

Post-clearance checks confirm that no animals, dependent young or injured individuals remain in the work area. Follow-up should also check whether the retained camp and surrounding habitat remain suitable and undisturbed.

After each clearing stage, inspect felled vegetation, retained trees, the ground and adjacent refuge habitat. Check for animals hidden in foliage, wing damage, dependent young and animals unable to fly.

Complete the inspection in daylight and keep the site quiet. Do not enter a camp at night.

  • Search the full work footprint and the edge of the retained buffer.
  • Check beneath roost trees and around stockpiles, trenches, fences and structures.
  • Confirm that all animals found have been assessed by an authorised handler.
  • Record a final clearance time, weather, search effort and result.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Check retained roosts and camps

Revisit retained roost trees and the camp after disturbance, particularly where work occurred nearby or food and water resources were removed. Compare animal numbers, behaviour and camp boundaries with the pre-work record.

A decline in numbers does not by itself show that a camp has been abandoned. Little Red Flying-foxes may move in response to flowering and fruiting resources and may return later.

  • Check for renewed occupation, dependent young, fallen animals and heat stress.
  • Check that buffers, fencing, shade and water access remain in place.
  • Remove temporary lighting, waste and hazards that could injure flying-foxes.
  • Record changes in camp use and notify the project ecologist where impacts are greater than predicted.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Complete reporting and notifications

Prepare a close-out report that links the works to the approved method, species management program, permit and incident records. Submit notifications within the required timeframes.

Keep records of animals handled, transferred, released, rehabilitated or found dead.

  • Summarise survey effort, clearing dates, weather and work areas.
  • List all flying-fox observations, breeding evidence, injuries and incidents.
  • Include maps, photographs, count results, approvals and correspondence.
  • Report any unapproved disturbance, death, injury or failure of a control measure to the relevant authority.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Monitor relocated or released animals

Do not relocate a flying-fox unless the action is authorised and directed by an appropriately qualified wildlife professional or regulator. Flying-foxes are highly mobile, and unsuitable relocation can separate mothers from young or place animals in conflict areas.

The receiving carer or veterinarian should determine treatment, release readiness and any follow-up required.

  • Record the animal identification, sex if known, condition, origin, treatment and destination.
  • Record whether a dependent young animal was involved.
  • Confirm the release site, release date and person responsible.
  • Monitor the release area for welfare issues where this is part of the approved plan.

After habitat disturbance: 5. Review the control measures

Hold a post-work review with the fauna spotter catcher, ecologist, supervisor and project manager. Use the results to improve the next work stage or future projects.

Pay particular attention to unexpected camp use, heat stress, breeding activity, lighting, noise and the effectiveness of buffers.

  • Compare predicted impacts with actual observations.
  • Identify any missed hazards, unclear instructions or equipment problems.
  • Update the site environmental management plan and induction materials.
  • Retain lessons learned with the project fauna records.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roost and breeding habitat

Rehabilitation should restore the habitat features that support roosting, breeding, cooling and feeding. For this highly mobile species, connected native vegetation and reliable flowering and fruiting resources are generally more useful than artificial breeding structures.

Retain existing roost trees wherever practicable and restore native trees in connected groups. Prioritise shady sites near water and established flowering or fruiting resources.

Little Red Flying-foxes roost in trees and camps can support breeding and crèche groups. Nest boxes and ordinary bat boxes are not a substitute for a suitable camp or maternity roost for this species.

  • Replace removed canopy with locally appropriate native trees and shrubs.
  • Create linked vegetation between retained trees, waterways and known feeding areas.
  • Protect young plantings from browsing, mowing, vehicles and construction damage.
  • Allow enough time for replacement trees to develop suitable canopy and shade.
  • Use specialist advice before proposing an artificial roost structure.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Plan food resources

Plant a diverse sequence of native flowering and fruiting species suited to the local area. Include locally appropriate eucalypts, bloodwoods, paperbarks, melaleucas, angophoras and other proven nectar plants.

Little Red Flying-foxes follow flowering resources across large areas. Planting should supplement, not replace, protection of remnant forest, woodland, rainforest, wetlands and mangroves.

  • Use local provenance plants where available.
  • Plan for flowering at different times of year.
  • Avoid planting food trees directly beside high conflict locations where a safer site is available.
  • Retain native figs and other suitable fruiting plants where they occur.
  • Record plant species, planting dates, survival and flowering performance.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Protect water and cooling habitat

Maintain free-standing water and shaded vegetation near retained or restored roost habitat. Water supports drinking and helps camps cool through evapotranspiration.

Avoid draining wetlands, removing riparian shade or directing hot exhaust, dust or lighting into a camp.

  • Protect creeks, billabongs, wetlands, paperbark swamps and mangroves from sediment and pollution.
  • Provide safe access to existing water where this is part of the approved habitat plan.
  • Control erosion and prevent sediment entering water.
  • Monitor water availability during dry periods and heat events.
  • Do not create open water that increases drowning or entanglement risk.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Control weeds, hazards and lighting

Remove weeds progressively so that roost and food plants are not exposed suddenly. Keep alternative shade and escape habitat available while restoration is underway.

Reduce artificial light near camps, flight paths and feeding trees. Poorly placed lighting can alter movement and increase disturbance.

  • Use staged weed control outside sensitive breeding and heat stress periods where practicable.
  • Replace invasive plants with native species that provide shade, nectar or fruit.
  • Remove barbed wire or make it more visible with tape, plastic flags, metal tags or empty aluminium cans where removal is not practicable.
  • Design fences, powerlines and temporary structures to reduce entanglement and collision risk.
  • Direct lights away from retained trees, camps, water and movement corridors.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Monitor restoration outcomes

Monitor restored habitat for several years, with extra checks during flowering, fruiting, breeding and hot weather. The aim is to confirm that trees survive, food resources develop and flying-foxes can use the area without unacceptable conflict.

Use the results to adjust planting, weed control, water management and lighting.

  • Record plant survival, canopy development, flowering, fruiting, weeds and water condition.
  • Check for roosting, feeding, breeding and crèche activity from outside the camp.
  • Record camp size and species composition where counts are available.
  • Inspect for entanglement, heat stress, injured animals and new hazards.
  • Report monitoring results to the land manager, council and regulator where required by the approval.

Sources