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Northern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus westralis)

The Northern Pipistrelle, *Pipistrellus westralis*, is one of Australia’s smallest microbats. It occurs in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia, and may roost in old tree hollows and forage along waterways and mangroves. Roost loss and clearing can affect this species on works sites, and in Queensland a breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder is subject to the high risk species management program requirements.

Conservation status

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

Breeding season

Timing for the Northern Pipistrelle is poorly documented. As a colonial microbat, use spring to late summer as the working maternity period, with timing varying between northern and eastern regions and between years.

Breeding mode: Colonial breeder. Females may gather in shared maternity roosts during the warmer months.

Litter size: Usually one pup per female each year for microbats. Species-specific confirmation is not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Usually one breeding event per year for microbats. Species-specific confirmation is not recorded.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Weaning and fledging: Not recorded. Young bats are expected to remain dependent in the maternity roost until able to fly and forage.

Maternity roost sites: Probably hollows in old trees. Other suitable microbat roosts can include fissures, loose bark, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings.

Colony size and site fidelity: Not recorded. Treat every occupied maternity roost as significant because one colony may contain a substantial share of the local population.

Timing can shift between years and regions, so confirm local activity with acoustic monitoring, emergence observations and direct roost inspection before clearing or construction.

  • Mating and maternity colony activity: Use September to February as the general working period for mating and maternity activity, with the strongest caution from October to January.
  • Births and dependent pups: Births are expected in the warmer months, and dependent pups may remain in the roost into late summer.
  • Active colonies and maternity roosts: An active breeding place may show repeated emergence, pregnant or lactating females, or pups, but colony size and site fidelity are not recorded for this species.
  • Roosting and foraging activity: Expect activity throughout the year, including roosting in old tree hollows and insect foraging above small creeks and tidal waterways in mangrove forests.
  • Maternity roost surveys and checks: Use emergence watches, Anabat or similar acoustic detectors, and, where authorised, harp traps or mist nets, with endoscope or pole camera inspections for hollow-bearing trees.
  • Highest clearing risk: Plan clearing outside the maternity period where possible; if a hollow-bearing tree must be removed, use two-stage or soft felling, exclude bats only outside the maternity season, and treat bat boxes as supplementary rather than replacement habitat.

Identification: Appearance and size

The Northern Pipistrelle is a very small vespertilionid bat. Identification in the field can be difficult, especially from echolocation calls alone, so treat uncertain records conservatively where roosts or hollow-bearing trees may be affected.

The Northern Pipistrelle weighs about 3 grams and is one of Australia’s smallest bats. The available species information does not give reliable field marks beyond its very small size, so photographs, close examination and call evidence should be assessed together.

Family: Vespertilionidae

Order: Chiroptera

Weight: About 3 grams

  • Look for a small, fast-flying bat with fluttering and acrobatic flight.
  • Do not rely on body size alone to separate it from other small microbats.

Identification: Calls and similar species

A characteristic frequency of about 46.6 kHz has been reported, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 44.0 to 49.3 kHz. Calls are curvilinear, although a very short initial section can make the pulse look flat.

An Anabat call cannot be identified confidently to species level. Calls below 45.4 kHz can overlap with the Eastern Forest Bat, *Pipistrellus adamsi*. Calls above 46.6 kHz can overlap with *Miniopterus schreibersii* or *Miniopterus schreibersii orianae*. Calls between 45.4 and 46.6 kHz should be treated as uncertain.

Indicative frequency: About 46.6 kHz

Call type: Curvilinear, sometimes with a flat appearance

Main call overlaps: *Pipistrellus adamsi* and *Miniopterus schreibersii* or *M. schreibersii orianae*

  • Use search-phase pulses only. Remove attack-phase pulses and feeding buzzes before analysis.
  • Use at least three consistent search-phase pulses for a call identification. Longer sequences are preferred.
  • Record the detector location, habitat, weather and time, and retain the original files.

Identification: Field signs and survey methods

Direct sightings may be brief and difficult to interpret. Anabat or similar acoustic detectors are useful for activity surveys, but recordings do not measure abundance and a detector will not record every bat present.

Droppings may occur below a roost entrance, on ledges or on structures. Look for small dark pellets, staining, urine or guano deposits, bat odour, and repeated bat activity at an entrance. These signs are not by themselves reliable for species identification.

  • Inspect hollow-bearing trees from the ground before works begin.
  • Use an endoscope or pole camera where a hollow may contain bats, if this can be done safely and without disturbing animals.
  • Use emergence watches to check suspected roosts. Harp traps or mist nets may assist qualified surveyors with confirmation, subject to relevant approvals and animal welfare requirements.

Distribution: Australian range

The Northern Pipistrelle is mapped in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Records in the Northern Territory include the Top End, but the species’ full distribution and local abundance may be under-recorded because it is difficult to identify from calls alone.

Plan for the species in suitable habitat across the mapped parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Local records should be checked before clearing, but an absence of records does not rule out use of a site.

  • Northern Territory, including the Top End.
  • Queensland.
  • Western Australia.

Distribution: Using records on projects

Check the Atlas of Living Australia, state databases, previous project reports and local fauna records. Give particular attention to records near old trees, waterways, mangroves, bridges, culverts and buildings.

Acoustic records need careful review because the Northern Pipistrelle overlaps with other species. A call record in the overlap range should be reported as uncertain unless supported by other evidence.

Distribution: Overseas range

The available species information does not establish an overseas range. Treat the Northern Pipistrelle as an Australian species for project planning purposes.

Habitat: Vegetation and landscape features

Look for the Northern Pipistrelle in landscapes that retain old trees, small creeks, tidal waterways and mangrove forests. Habitat can occur within modified areas, so a site should not be dismissed because it is close to roads, farms or buildings.

Old trees with hollows are the clearest habitat feature identified for this species. Small creeks and tidal waterways through mangrove forests may provide feeding habitat.

Retain links between roost trees and nearby water or insect-rich vegetation where practicable.

  • Old trees with hollows, dead limbs or fissures.
  • Small creeks, drainage lines and riparian vegetation.
  • Tidal waterways and mangrove forests.
  • Bridges, culverts and buildings near suitable foraging habitat.

Habitat: Site assessment

Walk the proposed disturbance area and inspect trees, structures and waterway edges. Record hollow-bearing trees, possible roost entrances, nearby water, dense vegetation and any bat activity.

Include retained vegetation and connected habitat in the assessment. A tree outside the clearing footprint may still be part of a flight path or roosting area.

Foraging habitat: Food

Northern Pipistrelles eat flying insects and forage in open airspace above small creeks and tidal waterways in mangrove forests. Their fluttering, acrobatic flight may bring them close to vegetation edges and water surfaces.

Recorded prey includes moths and small beetles. Insect abundance is likely to influence where bats feed, particularly near water and flowering or structurally diverse vegetation.

  • Moths.
  • Small beetles.
  • Other flying insects may also be taken.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas to retain

Look for repeated bat activity above water, along creek lines, beside mangrove edges and around gaps between trees. These areas can be affected by vegetation removal, lighting, dust, noise and changes to drainage.

Avoid unnecessary clearing of riparian and mangrove vegetation. Keep lighting directed away from retained vegetation and waterways where safety requirements allow.

  • Small creeks and drainage lines.
  • Tidal waterways in mangrove forests.
  • Edges between open airspace and vegetation.
  • Flight paths between old trees and water.

Foraging habitat: Survey approach

Use acoustic detectors in open positions with a clear recording path, while also placing detectors near likely flyways. Dense vegetation and tall forest can reduce detection because bats may fly higher or farther from the detector.

Do not convert call counts directly into bat numbers. Compare activity between locations only when detector placement, timing and weather are reasonably consistent.

Breeding habitat: Breeding season and young

Specific breeding sites for the Northern Pipistrelle are poorly documented. As a microbat, it should be managed as a colonial breeder during the breeding season, with particular care around hollows and other places where females may raise young.

Most microbats give birth to one pup a year in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer. Pregnant or lactating females and dependent pups confirm that a roost is being used as a breeding place.

Typical microbat breeding period: Spring to late summer

Typical litter: Usually one pup per year

  • Look for pregnant or lactating females during capture and handling surveys by suitably qualified personnel.
  • Listen and watch for pups during careful roost inspections and emergence watches.
  • Do not assume that a roost is inactive because adult bats are not visible during a brief inspection.

Breeding habitat: Likely breeding places

Old tree hollows are the main likely roost feature identified for the species. Other microbat breeding places can include fissures, loose bark, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings.

Any roost where young are raised is a breeding place. A maternity roost may be concealed and may only be confirmed through repeated observations, emergence activity, acoustic work or inspection by an experienced bat ecologist.

  • Hollow-bearing trees.
  • Fissures and loose bark.
  • Caves and mines.
  • Culverts, bridges and buildings.

Breeding habitat: Works planning

Schedule tree removal and structural disturbance outside the maternity season where possible. If a suspected maternity roost cannot be avoided, obtain project-specific ecological advice before disturbance.

For a hollow-bearing tree, consider a two-stage or soft-felling approach. Fell or lower limbs carefully, allow time for bats to leave, and inspect sections before further processing.

  • Avoid disturbing suspected maternity roosts during the period when dependent young may be present.
  • Use exclusion devices only outside the maternity season and only after confirming that no bats or dependent young remain.
  • Use bat boxes as a supplementary measure, not as a replacement for retaining natural hollows.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roost features

The Northern Pipistrelle probably roosts in hollows in old trees. Microbats also use a range of natural and built structures, so all potential roost features should be checked before clearing or demolition.

Inspect old trees with hollows, split limbs, loose bark, fissures and cavities. Check both living and dead trees, including trees with small entrances that may be difficult to see from the ground.

  • Tree hollows and cavities.
  • Fissures in trunks and limbs.
  • Loose bark and split limbs.
  • Caves and abandoned mines where present.

Sheltering habitat: Built structures

Culverts, bridges, buildings and similar structures can provide sheltered roost spaces. Check expansion joints, gaps, roof spaces, wall cavities, ledges and enclosed drainage structures before repair, demolition or sealing.

  • Culverts and bridges.
  • Roof spaces and building cavities.
  • Gaps in walls, joints and structural crevices.
  • Sheltered spaces near waterways.

Sheltering habitat: Inspection and exclusion

Use an endoscope or pole camera where a hollow or cavity cannot be assessed safely from the entrance. Combine inspections with emergence watches and acoustic monitoring when the status of a roost is uncertain.

Do not seal a cavity or install an exclusion device until a qualified person has confirmed that bats are absent and that dependent young will not be trapped. Exclusion is best undertaken outside the maternity season.

  • Retain suitable hollow-bearing trees wherever practicable.
  • Use soft felling or two-stage felling where removal cannot be avoided.
  • Recheck structures after exclusion and before demolition or permanent sealing.

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

Northern Pipistrelles are treated as colonial breeders because microbats form colonies during the breeding season. Species-specific colony sizes are poorly documented, so a small visible group should not be treated as insignificant or assumed to be the whole colony.

A colony may occupy a hollow, cavity, bridge, culvert, building space or another sheltered roost. Bats may be hidden during the day and leave together or in a steady stream around dusk.

A maternity roost contains females raising young. It may be occupied by many bats, but the number visible at an entrance can vary with weather, temperature, disturbance and the time of observation.

  • Repeated emergence from one entrance.
  • Several bats entering or leaving the same cavity.
  • Pups or lactating females confirmed by qualified surveyors.
  • Accumulated droppings or staining below an entrance.

Colonies and breeding places: Colony size and site fidelity

Reliable colony sizes and site fidelity for the Northern Pipistrelle are not established. Microbats may return to suitable roosts and may use a network of roosts, so one tree or structure can have value even when it holds few bats during one inspection.

Treat a roost as potentially significant until surveys show otherwise. Do not use one quiet inspection to clear a site for removal.

  • Survey more than once where the risk to a roost is high.
  • Check nearby trees and structures for alternative entrances and linked roosts.
  • Retain groups of hollow-bearing trees where practicable, rather than isolating a single tree.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

Use emergence watches, acoustic monitoring and careful inspection to establish activity. Pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated emergence and direct evidence of young provide the strongest confirmation of a maternity roost.

Harp traps or mist nets may assist with confirming species and reproductive condition when used by experienced and authorised personnel. Capture should not replace habitat avoidance.

  • Inspect at dusk during suitable weather.
  • Use Anabat or similar detectors to document activity and movement.
  • Use an endoscope or pole camera only where the inspection can be completed safely and without trapping or injuring bats.
  • Record the location, entrance, evidence, timing and weather.

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

A colony can contain a substantial part of the local breeding population. Disturbance, sealing or removal of one roost can kill dependent young, displace adults and remove a scarce hollow from the local roost network.

In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires the high risk species management program pathway under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. Confirm the current requirements with the Queensland environmental regulator before works begin.

Queensland status: Least concern, but colonial breeder provisions apply to breeding places

Queensland management pathway: High risk species management program, where the regulatory requirements are triggered

  • Avoid maternity roost disturbance wherever practicable.
  • Use a project-specific high risk species management program in Queensland where required.
  • Keep spotter catchers, supervisors and machinery operators informed of roost locations and exclusion zones.

Threats: Tree clearing and hollow loss

The main risks on works sites are loss of roost trees, disturbance of breeding places and loss of insect-rich feeding habitat. Development controls should focus on avoiding roost damage first, then reducing disturbance and retaining connected habitat.

Removing old trees and hollow-bearing limbs can remove roosts that took many years to form. Clearing for roads, agriculture, compounds and services can also break links between roost trees and feeding areas.

  • Map and retain hollow-bearing trees where practicable.
  • Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher during clearing.
  • Apply soft felling or two-stage felling where a tree cannot be retained.
  • Inspect felled sections before cutting, mulching or burning.

Threats: Disturbance to breeding places

Noise, vibration, lighting, demolition, tree removal and sealing can disturb maternity roosts. Disturbance during the period when young are dependent can cause direct mortality or abandonment.

Confirm whether a suspected roost is active before works. If young or reproductive females are present, stop and obtain specialist advice before proceeding.

  • Avoid works at confirmed or suspected maternity roosts during spring to late summer where practicable.
  • Do not seal cavities or remove exclusion devices while bats may be inside.
  • Use staged works and post-work checks around bridges, culverts and buildings.

Threats: Loss of feeding habitat

Clearing along small creeks, tidal waterways and mangrove edges can reduce insect prey and sheltered flight paths. Forestry activities and agricultural clearing are recognised threats to feeding grounds.

  • Retain riparian and mangrove vegetation where practicable.
  • Limit unnecessary clearing around waterways.
  • Manage dust, drainage changes and night lighting near retained habitat.
  • Maintain connections between roost trees, waterways and vegetation edges.

Threats: Poor survey confidence and incorrect identification

The Northern Pipistrelle is difficult to separate from similar species by Anabat call alone. Dense vegetation, tall forest and poor detector placement can reduce detection, while a single call record cannot establish abundance or prove that a roost is absent.

  • Use experienced acoustic analysts and retain original recordings.
  • Combine acoustic work with habitat assessment, emergence watches and direct inspection.
  • Treat uncertain calls and potential roosts conservatively when clearing or construction could affect them.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey the Northern Pipistrelle as a small colonial microbat that may be missed by a single method. Combine acoustic detection with searches for roosts, emergence observations and, where authorised, trapping.

Map old trees, hollow-bearing trees, riparian vegetation, mangroves, creeks, tidal waterways, culverts, bridges, buildings, caves, mines and other structures that could provide roosts.

Review previous fauna records and local information about bat activity. Treat records from the Top End and other mapped parts of the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia as useful context, not as a substitute for a site survey.

Identify works that could remove or disturb a hollow-bearing tree, building roost, bridge roost or other shared shelter. Flag any location where a breeding place could be affected.

Species range used for planning: Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia

Typical roost concern: Loss of hollows in old trees and loss of feeding areas

  • Mark potential roosts and likely flight paths on the construction plan.
  • Plan survey access, detector locations, lighting controls and safe inspection methods before clearing begins.
  • Check whether separate approvals apply to tree removal, cave or mine access, bridge works, waterway works or handling of wildlife.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and activity surveys

Deploy Anabat or similar detectors at potential roosts, along edges, over small creeks and near tidal waterways in mangrove forests. Survey around dusk and through the active night period when bats are flying.

Repeat surveys on more than one suitable night where the site may contain a roost or where the first survey gives an uncertain result. Avoid relying on a single wet, windy or unusually cold night.

Use suitable weather and place detectors where vegetation and structures will not block calls. Bats are more readily detected in open areas than in dense vegetation, and tall forest can reduce detection because bats may fly higher and farther from the detector.

Treat acoustic results as evidence of activity, not a direct measure of abundance. Northern Pipistrelle calls overlap with other bats, and Anabat calls cannot reliably identify this species to species level.

Published characteristic frequency: 46.6 kHz, with a 95 percent confidence interval of 44.0 to 49.3 kHz

Call limitations: The call is curvilinear, sometimes flat in appearance, and cannot be confidently assigned to species from all recordings

  • Use search-phase pulses only when reviewing calls. Remove attack-phase pulses and feeding buzzes.
  • Seek at least three consistent search-phase pulses before assigning a call identification, and retain longer sequences where available.
  • Have an experienced bat ecologist review calls that may be Northern Pipistrelle, especially calls near the overlap with Pipistrellus adamsi or Miniopterus schreibersii.
  • Record detector location, date, start and finish time, weather, habitat, detector model and settings, files reviewed, call characteristics and the confidence of each identification.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost, emergence and capture surveys

Inspect likely hollow-bearing trees, buildings, bridges, culverts, caves and mines from a safe distance. Use an endoscope or pole camera only where the inspection can be completed without damaging the roost or trapping bats inside.

Watch potential roosts from before sunset until activity has ceased. Record emergence time, number of bats seen, direction of flight, repeated entry, social calls, droppings, staining, worn entrances and any visible pups.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under the authority of appropriately trained and authorised personnel. Follow animal ethics, permit and animal welfare requirements. Release bats promptly at the point of capture unless an approved wildlife care pathway requires otherwise.

Confirm a maternity roost through evidence such as pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated use by females with young, or direct observation of dependent young. A roost where young are raised is a breeding place.

Known species-specific colony size: No reliable colony size should be assumed. Assess each roost on its evidence and function

Breeding pattern for microbats: Most give birth to one pup a year in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer

  • Keep people, vehicles and lights away from the roost during an emergence watch.
  • Do not enter a cave or mine, climb a tree or handle a bat without the required training, permission and safety controls.
  • Record species confidence, sex, reproductive condition, age class, capture method, roost features, colony observations and photographs where they can be taken without disturbance.

Survey methodology: 4. Interpreting colonies and breeding places

Treat the Northern Pipistrelle as a colonial breeder. A colony may be a group of bats sharing a hollow, fissure, loose bark, cave, mine, culvert, bridge, building or other shelter, with numbers changing between nights.

A maternity roost may look quiet during the day. Bats can be concealed deep in a hollow, roof space or crevice, so a lack of visible bats does not prove that a roost is unused.

Expect site fidelity where a suitable shelter is available, but do not assume that one inspection defines the full colony. Several nearby roosts may form a local roost network.

Colonies need special care because one breeding place can hold a large share of the local population. Disturbance during the maternity period can expose pups, separate females from young or cause bats to abandon a roost.

Breeding place definition for microbats: Any roost where young are raised

Site fidelity: Manage suitable roosts as potentially reused unless survey evidence and specialist advice support another conclusion

  • Map the roost and all access points, not just the tree or structure itself.
  • Presume a shared roost is a breeding place when evidence shows that young are raised there.
  • Obtain specialist advice before disturbing a suspected colony, even when no threatened listing applies.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance and approvals

Avoid roost loss first. If avoidance is not possible, confirm the legal pathway, survey the site and set out controls before machinery arrives.

Redesign the footprint to retain hollow-bearing trees, old trees, riparian vegetation, mangroves and structures used as roosts. Retain connected flight paths where practicable.

Obtain advice on whether the action needs an EPBC Act referral. The Northern Pipistrelle is not listed as threatened in Australia, but other listed species, ecological communities or protected matters may still be present.

In Queensland, treat the Northern Pipistrelle as a least concern colonial breeder. 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.

Check Northern Territory, Western Australian and Queensland wildlife permits, animal ethics approvals, rehabilitation permissions, vegetation approvals and land manager conditions before survey, capture, exclusion or clearing.

Queensland management requirement: High risk species management program for tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder

Conservation status: Least concern in the Australian jurisdictions where it is mapped

  • Keep copies of approvals, permits, fauna management plans and contact details in the site office and in the spotter catcher's vehicle.
  • Do not authorise clearing because a species is least concern. Apply the approved controls and any broader animal welfare and habitat obligations.
  • Escalate any proposed disturbance to a confirmed breeding place, colony or occupied roost before work starts.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Pre-clearance survey and timing

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before works. Recheck all marked hollows, fissures, loose bark, buildings, bridges, culverts, caves, mines and other potential roosts.

Schedule tree and structure disturbance outside the local maternity period where practicable. Most microbats raise young in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer, but use local survey evidence rather than assuming one fixed season for every site.

Do not describe the species as migratory or set a seasonal timing rule without local evidence. Plan around confirmed roost use, local breeding observations and advice from the fauna ecologist.

Use emergence watches, acoustic monitoring, endoscope or pole camera inspection, and authorised trapping where the risk remains uncertain.

Breeding timing to use as a planning prompt: Warmer months, usually spring to late summer for most microbats

Maternity confirmation: Pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young, or repeated breeding use

  • Require the ecologist to sign off each high-risk tree or structure before disturbance.
  • Leave an occupied or suspected maternity roost undisturbed until the management response is approved.
  • Record the survey date, weather, inspection method, roost evidence and the reason for the clearance decision.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Buffers, exclusion and replacement planning

Set a no-entry and no-machinery buffer around each confirmed or suspected roost. Define the buffer with the project ecologist after considering the roost entrance, flight path, vibration, noise, lighting and the type of work.

Do not use an exclusion device during the maternity period if it could separate females from pups or trap animals inside. Exclusion should be designed, installed and checked by a qualified bat ecologist.

Install one-way exclusion devices only when the roost is not being used for dependent young and when bats can safely leave and reach alternative shelter. Keep the device in place for the period specified in the approved method, then close or remove the access only after checks confirm that bats are out.

Plan replacement roosts before removing a roost tree or structure. Bat boxes or other artificial roost structures are supplementary measures and do not make avoidable roost loss acceptable.

  • Mark the buffer on the ground and in the digital construction plan.
  • Control night lighting around the roost, emergence route and replacement structures.
  • Inspect exclusion devices after installation and after severe weather.
  • Keep a contingency plan for a bat found behind an exclusion device or inside a structure.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction and stop-work controls

Induct all workers, operators and subcontractors before clearing. Show them the marked roosts, buffers, exclusion devices, fauna escape routes and the person authorised to make fauna decisions.

Give the spotter catcher authority to stop work immediately when a bat, colony, roost, breeding place or unexpected hollow is found. No supervisor should overrule that stop without the approved fauna ecologist's direction.

Explain that bats may be hidden during the day and that workers must not smoke, spray chemicals, poke tools into hollows, block entrances or shine high-powered lights into a roost.

Keep a current contact list for the fauna ecologist, wildlife carer, veterinarian, regulator and project manager.

  • Use a short toolbox talk at the start of each clearing shift.
  • Mark exclusion zones with durable bunting and signs.
  • Require operators to wait for the spotter catcher before moving a flagged tree or structure.
  • Record attendance and induction completion.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep the fauna spotter catcher close to the work front. Stop immediately when the work differs from the approved plan or an animal or roost is encountered.

Start with low-risk vegetation and work toward retained habitat, while leaving marked hollow-bearing trees and suspected roost structures until they have been assessed.

Use a two-stage or soft-felling method for hollow-bearing trees. Stage the removal so animals have an opportunity to leave, and lower sections carefully rather than allowing them to fall freely.

Where practicable, retain a felled hollow section intact and keep it near the original location until the ecologist has checked it. Do not place hollow sections in direct sun, floodwater, traffic areas or locations where predators can access them easily.

Inspect each tree, hollow section, roof space, bridge joint, culvert and other affected structure after disturbance. Allow the spotter catcher to check cavities before the next item is moved.

  • Check the work area, machinery and ground after each tree or structure is disturbed.
  • Keep escape routes open to retained trees and other suitable shelter.
  • Stop if a tree behaves unexpectedly, a hollow opens, or bats are seen leaving during daylight.
  • Do not burn, chip or bury a hollow section until the fauna ecologist has cleared it.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animal handling and found colonies

Only authorised and trained people may catch, handle, transport or release a bat. Keep untrained workers and the public away from the animal.

If a bat is found, stop nearby work, reduce noise and light, and protect the animal from heat, rain, predators and machinery. Do not pick it up with bare hands.

If an active breeding place, maternity roost or colony is found, stop work in the affected area. Protect the roost entrance and flight path, then contact the fauna ecologist and regulator or permit holder as required.

Do not seal, relocate, fumigate or force bats from a roost unless the approved management method specifically allows it.

  • Use suitable clean equipment and personal protective equipment under the project's bat handling procedure.
  • Place a grounded bat in a secure, ventilated container only when an authorised handler directs this action.
  • Keep pups with their mother wherever safe and lawful. Never separate a dependent pup from a lactating female.
  • Record the exact location and condition of every animal found.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Injured or distressed animals

Treat a bat that is grounded, bleeding, entangled, cold, unable to fly or exposed to machinery as injured or distressed. Stop work around it and keep people, pets and vehicles away.

Call the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or fauna ecologist. Follow the permit and rehabilitation pathway for capture, transport and release.

Do not offer food or water, apply chemicals, wash the bat or attempt treatment unless directed by a qualified wildlife carer or veterinarian.

If contact with a person occurs, follow the project's occupational health procedure and seek medical advice promptly.

  • Use gloves and other approved protective equipment when directed to assist an authorised handler.
  • Keep the container dark, quiet, secure and ventilated during short-term transport.
  • Record the time found, location, injury, handler, destination and advice received.
  • Notify the regulator where the approval or permit requires an incident report.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Records and incident control

Maintain a fauna register for every clearing shift. Record detections, roosts, colonies, animals handled, exclusions, injuries, mortalities, releases and stop-work events.

Photograph roost features and work controls where this can be done without disturbing bats. Store acoustic files, trap sheets, emergence records and inspection images with the project records.

Report any departure from the approved method to the project manager and fauna ecologist before work resumes. Report serious incidents to the relevant regulator under the approval conditions.

Update the map whenever a roost, flight route, replacement structure or retained hollow is added or removed.

  • Include date, time, location, weather, habitat, work activity and people involved in each entry.
  • Record species identification confidence and the basis for the identification.
  • Keep records long enough to support compliance reporting and post-clearance monitoring.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that animals have not been left in the work area and that controls have worked. Use the results to improve the next clearing stage and to close out approval conditions.

Inspect the cleared area, felled tree sections, retained trees, structures, machinery and exclusion devices before the next work stage.

Search for grounded, trapped, injured or dead bats, with particular attention to hollows, roof spaces, culverts, stockpiles and debris.

Repeat an emergence watch or acoustic check where a roost was disturbed, an exclusion was installed or the work exposed an unexpected cavity.

Do not remove a buffer or release a retained roost area until the fauna ecologist confirms that the approved control has been completed.

  • Check for blocked entrances, trapped animals, exposed pups and damage to replacement structures.
  • Check the ground beneath soft-felled trees and hollow sections.
  • Record a clear outcome for each inspected roost or tree.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated and released animals

Confirm that each handled bat was released, transferred to care or otherwise managed under the approved pathway. Record the destination, date, time, handler and condition.

Release healthy animals only when the authorised handler and permit conditions support release. Use a safe location near suitable shelter and away from active machinery, roads, domestic animals and intense lighting.

Follow the wildlife carer's instructions for any pup, lactating female, injured bat or animal requiring rehabilitation.

Check nearby retained trees, structures and replacement roosts for signs of use after release or exclusion.

  • Do not move bats to an unapproved site simply to clear the work front.
  • Do not release an animal into direct sun, heavy rain, floodwater or a place without nearby shelter.
  • Link each animal record to its incident or capture number.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Monitor retained roosts, replacement structures and nearby foraging areas at the frequency set by the approval or fauna management plan. Use emergence observations, acoustic monitoring and visual inspections as appropriate.

Compare activity before and after works, but do not treat detector files as a direct count of bat abundance. Consider weather, vegetation, detector position and changing construction noise when interpreting results.

Report all stop-work events, roost findings, injuries, mortalities, exclusions, relocations, non-compliances and corrective actions.

Provide the land manager with maps, photographs, survey files, inspection results and recommendations for ongoing management.

  • Use the same detector locations and methods where comparison is intended.
  • Have uncertain acoustic identifications reviewed by a bat ecologist.
  • Escalate continued roost loss, repeated injuries or evidence of a maternity colony.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review and close-out

Hold a review with the project manager, spotter catcher, fauna ecologist and relevant supervisors after any roost disturbance, injury, mortality or repeated stop-work event.

Identify whether the cause was survey coverage, timing, plant operation, lighting, induction, exclusion design or communication. Change the method before the next work area is opened.

Close out each approval condition with evidence, not a verbal confirmation. Keep unresolved actions open until inspected and signed off.

Use the review to update the site risk register and future clearing plans.

  • Record the incident, immediate response, regulator notification and corrective action.
  • Retrain crews where a control was misunderstood or not followed.
  • Retain lessons for later stages and other projects in the same local area.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roosting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore sheltered roosting options, insect-rich foraging habitat and safe movement routes. Northern Pipistrelle habitat is poorly documented at species level, so design measures for local microbat use and refine them through monitoring.

Retain living old trees, hollow-bearing trees, dead standing trees and loose-bark trees where safe. Protect retained trees from soil compaction, root damage, fire, pruning and unnecessary lighting.

Replace lost native vegetation with locally appropriate species that will support future hollows and flying insects. Maintain connected vegetation along creeks, tidal waterways and mangrove margins where these occur on the site.

Where a hollow-bearing tree must be removed, retain suitable hollow sections and place them securely in an agreed location. Use an ecologist to select orientation, height, shade and attachment methods.

Do not assume that a planted sapling is an immediate replacement for a mature hollow-bearing tree.

  • Fence retained trees during earthworks.
  • Keep drainage, erosion control and sediment works from damaging roost trees or waterways.
  • Retain natural debris and bark where it does not create a fire or safety hazard.
  • Use local provenance plants suited to the soil, flooding and salinity conditions.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Bat boxes and artificial roosts

Install bat boxes, artificial hollows or other roost structures only where local conditions make them suitable. They are supplementary measures and should not replace avoidance of natural roosts.

Place structures near retained vegetation and safe flight paths, with protection from vandalism, excessive heat, flooding, predators and direct construction lighting.

Use designs selected by a bat ecologist for local microbats. Provide more than one roost option where practical because bats may use different temperatures and crevice conditions.

Inspect structures after installation and monitor them for occupancy, damage, overheating, wasp or pest activity and maintenance needs.

  • Install replacement structures before disturbance where the approved method requires an alternative roost to be available.
  • Do not seal a natural roost until an approved exclusion and replacement plan is complete.
  • Record structure type, location, height, aspect, installation date and inspection results.
  • Repair or replace damaged structures under ecological supervision.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Restore feeding habitat, water and darkness

Re-establish native vegetation around small creeks, tidal waterways and mangrove forests where those habitats occur. These areas can support flying insects used by the Northern Pipistrelle.

Control weeds without contaminating roosts, water or feeding areas. Use targeted treatment and avoid spraying when bats are emerging or when wind could carry chemicals into roost entrances.

Protect water quality and natural drainage. Prevent sediment, hydrocarbons, litter and construction chemicals from entering waterways.

Keep lighting low, shielded and directed away from roost entrances, flight paths, water edges and replacement structures. Use the minimum light needed for safety.

  • Use dark corridors between retained habitat and replacement roosts.
  • Schedule noisy or brightly lit works away from known emergence periods where practicable.
  • Revegetate bare edges and stabilise soil promptly.
  • Inspect weed control and water protection measures after rain and construction changes.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Monitor retained and artificial roosts using visual checks, emergence watches and acoustic detectors. Use repeatable methods so changes in use can be assessed over time.

Record roost occupancy, emergence activity, signs of breeding, habitat condition, lighting, weeds, water quality and threats from predators or people.

Treat a lack of detection cautiously. The species may be present without being recorded, and acoustic calls can overlap with other bats.

Continue monitoring for the period required by the approval or management plan, then hand the responsibility to the land manager with clear maintenance triggers.

  • Inspect natural and artificial roosts before planned maintenance or vegetation works.
  • Replace failed boxes and repair damaged structures promptly.
  • Review lighting, weeds and vegetation establishment when monitoring shows low activity.
  • Use monitoring results to adjust restoration methods rather than assuming a structure has succeeded.

Sources