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Pallid Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus daedalus)

The Pallid Long-eared Bat is a small, long-eared microbat of northern Australia. It occurs in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia, including wetter forests, monsoon forest and riparian areas. Colonies and maternity roosts can concentrate many local bats in one place, so hollow-bearing trees, buildings and other roost features need careful assessment before clearing. The species is listed as least concern, but in Queensland it is treated as a least concern colonial breeder, so 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 Pallid Long-eared Bat is poorly known, so this calendar uses the general pattern for Australian microbats. Breeding is most likely in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer, with timing potentially shifting between the tropical north and southern parts of the range.

Breeding mode: Sexual reproduction in shared maternity roosts or colonies during the warmer months. Microbats generally raise young in colonies, although the size and structure of Pallid Long-eared Bat colonies are not recorded.

Litter size: Not recorded for this species. Most microbats give birth to one pup each year, although twin births occur in some Nyctophilus species.

Gestation: Not recorded for this species.

Fledging and weaning: Not recorded for this species. Pups are dependent on the maternity colony until they can fly and feed independently.

Colonies and breeding places: A maternity roost may be a cluster of bats in a tree hollow, fissure, loose bark, cave, mine, culvert, bridge or building. The species also roosts beneath foliage, including near the base of pandanus leaves. Typical colony sizes and site fidelity are not recorded. Treat a repeatedly used roost as potentially important between seasons.

Recognising an active breeding place: Useful signs include pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated bat emergence at dusk, regular return to the same hollow or structure, and bat calls recorded with an Anabat or similar detector. Emergence watches, harp traps or mist nets, and inspection with an endoscope or pole camera can help confirm use, subject to appropriate animal ethics and permits.

Clearing and construction care: Colonies need special care because one maternity roost can contain a substantial share of the local population, and young cannot readily escape disturbance. Retain hollow-bearing trees where possible, use two stage or soft felling, exclude bats only outside the maternity season, and use bat boxes as a supplementary measure rather than a replacement for natural roosts.

The breeding window may vary between years and regions, particularly across the tropical north, so confirm local roost use before clearing rather than relying on the calendar alone.

  • Nightly activity and roost use: Bats may forage and change day roosts throughout the year, but species-specific seasonal activity data are limited.
  • Breeding and maternity colony formation: Maternity colonies are most likely from spring into summer, following the general pattern for Australian microbats.
  • Births and dependent pups: Births and dependent young are expected during the warmer part of the breeding season, but the species specific timing is not recorded.
  • Active maternity roosts: Roosts containing pregnant or lactating females or pups should be treated as active breeding places until evidence shows otherwise.
  • Highest clearing risk: Clearing and construction are most likely to harm colonies, maternity roosts and dependent pups from September to December, and the risk may extend into late summer where young remain dependent.

Identification: Appearance and measurements

This is a small brown bat with very long ears and a paler belly. It can be difficult to identify confidently in the hand or from a brief flight view, particularly where other Nyctophilus species occur.

The back may be light to dark brown, with noticeably paler fur on the belly. The ears are very long, often extending well beyond the head, and the inner surface of the upper ear is ribbed.

Small fleshy structures occur behind the nostrils. The muzzle has little of the raised nose ridge seen in some other Nyctophilus species.

Body shape: Small microbat with long ears, a short muzzle and a long-eared bat profile

Colour: Brown above and paler below

  • Forearm length: 37 to 46 mm.
  • Weight: 7 to 13 g.
  • Family: Vespertilionidae.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Nyctophilus bats use frequency-modulated echolocation. Species identification from an Anabat or similar recording should be treated carefully unless the call has been checked by an experienced bat ecologist.

The Pallid Long-eared Bat is similar in appearance and habits to the Northern Long-eared Bat, Nyctophilus bifax. Taxonomic treatments have also linked it with Nyctophilus gouldi, so confirmed identification may require a combination of call, habitat, measurements and photographs.

  • Use acoustic identification as a screening tool, not as the sole basis for clearing decisions where a roost or breeding place may be present.
  • Seek expert confirmation when the species is likely to be confused with another Nyctophilus bat.

Identification: Field signs

Bats may leave droppings, urine staining, fur or a noticeable odour around a regularly used roost. These signs are more useful when found with bats, suitable roost structure or repeated emergence activity.

There are no nests or whitewash deposits expected for this species. Look for guano below hollows, fissures, bark sheets, roof spaces, culverts, bridges or other enclosed roost features.

  • Inspect tree bases, hollow entrances, ledges and sheltered building features for droppings and staining.
  • Record calls, bat activity and the direction of flight during an emergence watch.
  • Do not enter or block a suspected roost until its use has been assessed.

Distribution: Australian range

The Pallid Long-eared Bat is an Australian species of the north and north-west. Records are sparse in parts of its range, so a lack of records from a site does not demonstrate absence.

The species is mapped in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia. Recorded regions include the Top End, the Kimberley and the Pilbara. A geographically remote population occurs in the Pilbara, and the species has been recorded at Holmes Jungle Nature Park near Darwin.

  • Northern Territory, including the Top End and areas around Darwin.
  • Queensland, where it is naturally occurring and regulated as a colonial breeder when a breeding place is affected.
  • Western Australia, including the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.

Distribution: Where to consider it on a project

Give particular attention to sites in wetter northern landscapes, creeklines, riparian vegetation, monsoon forest and open forest. The species has been detected along creeklines with paperbark and Lophostemon vegetation associated with rocky hills.

Survey coverage is uneven, especially in the north-eastern wet to dry tropics. Project searches should therefore be based on habitat and roost features, not records alone.

  • Check mapped drainage lines, creeklines and riparian corridors.
  • Review nearby records, but retain the species as a possibility where suitable habitat and roosts remain.

Distribution: Overseas range

The Pallid Long-eared Bat is treated as an Australian species. The broader Nyctophilus genus occurs in Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, but this should not be taken as a distribution for the Pallid Long-eared Bat.

Habitat: Vegetation and landform

Look for this bat in moist or relatively sheltered northern environments rather than treating all woodland as equal habitat. The best site clues are watercourses, dense or layered vegetation, mature trees and nearby rocky features that provide roosting opportunities.

Known habitat associations include wetter forest, monsoon forest, riparian vegetation and open forest. Records include creeklines with paperbark and Lophostemon vegetation near rocky hills.

Retain attention on vegetation adjoining drainage features, even where the project footprint is mostly open forest.

  • Paperbark and Lophostemon along creeklines.
  • Monsoon forest and wetter forest patches.
  • Open forest with mature trees and hollows.
  • Rocky hills near creeklines or riparian vegetation.

Habitat: Site features to inspect

During pre-clearance checks, map mature trees, hollow-bearing trees, loose bark, dense foliage, pandanus and structures near water. Inspect adjacent vegetation as well as the immediate clearing footprint because bats can roost outside the area being cleared and forage over the work area.

Maintain riparian vegetation and suitable buffers in accordance with the applicable approval and local clearing controls.

  • Hollow-bearing trees and trees with fissures or loose bark.
  • Pandanus with sheltered leaf bases.
  • Culverts, bridges, buildings and other enclosed structures near habitat.
  • Rocky margins, creeklines and sheltered forest edges.

Foraging habitat: Foraging settings

The species has been recorded in creekline, riparian and forest habitats, but its diet and detailed foraging preferences are poorly documented. On works sites, treat connected vegetation and sheltered flight paths as potential foraging habitat.

Records come from creeklines with riverine vegetation, including paperbark and Lophostemon, from areas associated with rocky hills, and from predominantly open forest. Wetter forest and monsoon forest are also relevant habitat types.

Bats have been recorded using perches while seeking prey. Retain likely perch trees and vegetation links where practicable.

  • Creeklines and riparian vegetation.
  • Edges and internal areas of monsoon or wetter forest.
  • Open forest with mature trees and sheltered perches.
  • Vegetation corridors near rocky hills and drainage features.

Foraging habitat: Construction planning

Avoid unnecessary removal of mature trees, riparian vegetation and connected forest. Schedule lighting, noise and night work to reduce disturbance around suspected roosts and flight paths, particularly where emergence activity has been observed.

Do not assume that a site is unsuitable because bats are not seen during the day. Acoustic surveys and dusk observations can reveal activity that is otherwise missed.

  • Use Anabat or similar acoustic detectors to check activity and likely commuting areas.
  • Combine acoustic results with habitat mapping and emergence observations.
  • Keep temporary lighting directed away from roost entrances and riparian vegetation where feasible.

Breeding habitat: Maternity roost settings

Specific breeding sites for the Pallid Long-eared Bat are poorly documented. As a microbat, it may raise young in a range of enclosed or sheltered roosts, so any occupied roost where young are raised must be treated as a breeding place.

Potential maternity roosts include tree hollows, fissures, loose bark, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and suitable parts of buildings. For this species, tree hollows and sheltered foliage are recorded roosting features, including locations near the base of pandanus leaves.

Most microbats give birth during the warmer months, usually spring to late summer. Species-specific timing for this bat can vary with region and conditions.

Maternity evidence: Pregnant or lactating females, dependent pups, or repeated use by adult females

Typical microbat breeding period: Usually spring to late summer

  • Inspect hollow-bearing trees and other enclosed roost features before clearing.
  • Treat a roost as a possible maternity site until evidence shows otherwise.
  • Avoid disturbance during the period when young may be present.

Breeding habitat: Confirming a breeding place

A maternity roost is confirmed by finding pregnant or lactating females, pups or other clear evidence that young are being raised. An emergence watch can show regular use, but absence of visible bats on one evening does not rule out a breeding place.

Use acoustic monitoring, harp traps or mist nets where appropriate and authorised. Trapping should be conducted by suitably experienced personnel and under the relevant animal ethics and permit requirements.

  • Conduct emergence watches at dusk over suitable weather conditions.
  • Use an endoscope or pole camera to inspect hollows where this can be done safely and without entering the roost.
  • Record the tree or structure, entrance features, bat numbers, timing and evidence of young.

Breeding habitat: Clearing controls

Where a hollow-bearing tree may contain bats, use a staged or soft-felling method under an approved fauna management procedure. Exclusion devices may be suitable outside the maternity season, but they must not trap bats inside or separate dependent young from females.

In Queensland, a least concern colonial breeder requires the high risk species management program pathway when its breeding place is tampered with. Confirm the approval and program requirements before work starts.

  • Stop work and seek advice if pups, lactating females or a large concentration of bats is found.
  • Use two-stage or soft felling for occupied or potentially occupied hollow-bearing trees.
  • Do not exclude bats during the maternity period unless the approved procedure specifically addresses the risk.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roost features

Roosts can be small, concealed and change between days. The species is recorded from tree hollows and beneath foliage, especially near the base of pandanus leaves, while general microbat surveys should also consider artificial structures.

Inspect mature trees with hollows, fissures, loose bark and sheltered cavities. Check pandanus foliage, particularly around the bases of leaves, as well as dense vegetation near creeklines and rocky hills.

Roost trees may not show obvious external signs. A cavity that appears empty from the ground may contain bats deeper inside.

  • Tree hollows and fissures.
  • Loose bark and concealed splits.
  • Sheltered foliage and pandanus leaf bases.
  • Caves, mines and rocky cavities where present.

Sheltering habitat: Artificial and built roosts

Microbats may use culverts, bridges, buildings and other structures that provide dark, sheltered spaces. Inspect joints, gaps, roof spaces, expansion spaces and enclosed ledges before demolition, repair or vibration-generating work.

Include nearby structures in the survey area when they are connected to suitable vegetation or watercourses.

  • Culverts and bridge joints.
  • Roof spaces, wall cavities and building gaps.
  • Dark ledges, conduits and sheltered structural spaces.

Sheltering habitat: Survey and protection

Use an endoscope or pole camera for suitable tree hollows and enclosed features. Combine this with emergence watches and acoustic monitoring because no single method detects every roost.

Where a roost must be retained, establish a practical no-disturbance area around the entrance and manage vibration, lighting, dust, smoke and machinery access in accordance with the project fauna management plan.

  • Mark retained roost trees and exclusion areas before clearing.
  • Recheck retained trees after storms, fire or other events that may alter hollows.
  • Use bat boxes only as a supplementary measure. They do not replace retention of natural roosts.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony may look like

The Pallid Long-eared Bat is a colonial breeder. A colony or maternity roost is a shared place where bats gather to breed and raise young, and one site can hold a large share of the local population.

A colony may occupy one hollow, several hollows in nearby trees, a concealed foliage roost or an artificial structure. Bats may be hidden during the day, with activity becoming obvious at dusk when they emerge and leave along nearby vegetation corridors.

There is no reliable species-specific typical colony size available for this bat. Numbers can range from a small group to a concentration large enough to represent much of the local population.

Colony size: Species-specific typical sizes are not established. Treat any shared maternity roost as significant regardless of the number seen

Site fidelity: Check for repeated use. Do not assume a roost is unused because bats are absent on one inspection

  • Multiple bats entering or leaving one feature.
  • Repeated emergence from the same tree or structure.
  • Guano, urine staining, odour or worn material below an entrance.
  • Several suitable roost features clustered within a short distance.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

Look for pregnant or lactating females, pups, dependent young, repeated emergence activity and fresh droppings or staining. A breeding place is any roost where young are raised, including a roost used by microbats during the breeding season.

Use dusk emergence watches, acoustic detectors and careful internal inspection where safe. Avoid opening, probing or entering a roost in a way that could injure bats or cause abandonment.

  • Pregnant or lactating females.
  • Pups or dependent young.
  • Regular dusk emergence and return activity.
  • Fresh guano, staining or odour associated with a suitable roost feature.

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

Disturbing a maternity roost can injure adults, separate females from young, expose pups to heat or predators, and cause bats to abandon a site. Removing one hollow-bearing tree may affect many bats at once.

Queensland transport guidance treats microbats as colonial breeders because they form colonies during the breeding season. In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program, rather than the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

  • Plan clearing around confirmed or likely maternity use.
  • Use exclusion devices only outside the maternity season and under an approved method.
  • Retain alternative roost trees and connected vegetation where practicable.
  • Use bat boxes as a supplementary measure after natural roost retention has been addressed.

Colonies and breeding places: Site fidelity and monitoring

Species-specific site fidelity is not well documented, so use a precautionary approach. Repeated records at the same tree, structure or vegetation patch should be treated as evidence of ongoing use until monitoring shows otherwise.

A combination of emergence watches, acoustic monitoring and follow-up inspections gives a stronger basis for decisions than a single daytime search.

  • Monitor suspected roosts on more than one suitable evening where the project risk warrants it.
  • Record weather, timing, bat numbers, direction of flight and any evidence of young.
  • Keep a map and photo record of each roost feature and its management status.

Threats: Loss of hollow-bearing trees

The species is listed as least concern, but local colonies can still be affected quickly by clearing and disturbance. Development controls should focus on retaining roosts, avoiding maternity disturbance and protecting riparian and forest connections.

Clearing mature trees can remove roosts that take many years to form. Felling a single tree may affect a colony if the tree is used as a maternity or shared roost.

Survey hollow-bearing trees before clearing and retain suitable trees wherever practicable. Use staged or soft felling where removal is approved.

  • Map hollows, fissures, loose bark and tree cavities before works.
  • Avoid pushing felled hollow-bearing trees into piles before they have been checked.
  • Retain nearby replacement trees and undisturbed vegetation.

Threats: Disturbance to roosts and colonies

Noise, vibration, lighting, smoke, dust, demolition and repeated entry can disturb bats in trees, buildings, bridges and culverts. The risk is higher when pups are present or when a roost is used by many bats.

Use exclusion zones, timing controls and a fauna spotter catcher or ecologist to supervise high-risk work. Stop work if bats or dependent young are found unexpectedly.

  • Do not seal, demolish or modify a suspected roost without assessment.
  • Keep lighting away from entrances and adjacent riparian vegetation where possible.
  • Prevent machinery, people and vehicles from contacting retained roost trees.

Threats: Loss of riparian and connected vegetation

Removal of creekline vegetation can reduce roosting, shelter and movement opportunities. Records from paperbark and Lophostemon creeklines, rocky hills and open forest support retaining habitat links around drainage features.

Apply the project approval conditions and local clearing controls. Northern Territory guidance generally prevents clearing within 25 m of a drainage line, 100 m of creeks and 250 m of rivers, although the effectiveness of these distances for bats is not fully established.

  • Retain riparian vegetation and adjacent native vegetation.
  • Maintain buffers beyond the immediate watercourse where practicable.
  • Avoid severing links between roost trees, creeklines and forest patches.

Threats: Poor survey coverage and unsuitable mitigation

The species is sparsely recorded in parts of its range, and survey effort is limited in some northern regions. Absence from a short survey should not be treated as proof that a roost or colony is absent.

Inappropriate exclusion, tree felling or reliance on bat boxes can harm bats. Use qualified personnel, approved methods and current permit and animal welfare requirements.

  • Use acoustic surveys, emergence watches and targeted roost inspections together where risk is high.
  • Do not use exclusion devices during the maternity period unless specifically approved and managed.
  • Treat bat boxes as supplementary habitat, not a substitute for natural hollows.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

The Pallid Long-eared Bat is sparsely recorded and its breeding ecology is poorly known. Use several survey methods because a quiet roost can be missed by any single technique, particularly where works may affect hollow-bearing trees, riparian vegetation or structures.

Map records, waterways, riparian vegetation, monsoon or wetter forest, rocky areas, hollow-bearing trees and existing structures before visiting the site.

Check current federal and state conservation databases, planning controls and permit requirements for the site jurisdiction.

Treat the absence of a database record as inconclusive. The species can be overlooked where survey coverage is low.

  • Identify all potential roosts, including tree hollows, loose bark, foliage near pandanus leaves, fissures, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings.
  • Map proposed clearing, access tracks, night lighting, noise sources and areas that could affect a roost or flight path.
  • Record the date of each database search and retain maps, photographs and assumptions in the project file.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and capture surveys

Use Anabat or a similar ultrasonic detector at likely flyways, creeklines, forest edges, water points and near potential roosts. Set detectors before dusk and operate through the main activity period, with longer coverage where the risk warrants it.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under the direction of appropriately authorised and experienced personnel. Place traps on likely flyways and check them frequently to minimise handling time and stress.

Have a suitably qualified person review call files. Do not rely on an automated species identification alone because long-eared bats can be difficult to separate acoustically.

  • Survey in suitable weather, with low to moderate wind, no heavy rain and conditions that allow normal bat activity.
  • Avoid drawing conclusions from one quiet night. Repeat surveys on suitable nights when the site risk, habitat and access arrangements justify further effort.
  • Record detector type, location, height, settings, start and finish times, weather, habitat, call files, trap locations, capture effort and all species detected.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost and breeding-place checks

Inspect hollow-bearing trees, fissures, loose bark, pandanus foliage and accessible structures from the ground. Use an endoscope or pole camera where this can be done safely and without disturbing bats.

Conduct emergence watches from before sunset until activity has declined. Watch each potential roost for bats leaving, returning, carrying young or using the entrance repeatedly.

Confirm a maternity roost through evidence such as pregnant or lactating females, pups, dependent young, repeated emergence activity or bats occupying the site during the breeding period. Treat an occupied roost used by young as a breeding place.

  • Do not block, enter or shine high-powered lights into a suspected roost without a site-specific method and authorisation.
  • Record roost structure, entrance position, tree species where known, hollow dimensions where safely measurable, signs of use, photographs and the number and age class of bats observed.
  • Assume a hollow-bearing tree may contain bats even when no bat is visible during a daytime inspection.

Survey methodology: 4. Timing and interpretation

Most microbats give birth to one pup a year in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer. The Pallid Long-eared Bat is poorly known, so use local evidence and a precautionary approach rather than assuming a site is unused outside a single survey period.

There is no reliable species-specific migration schedule to use for programming works. Consider local seasonal movements between roosts and foraging areas when planning night works or repeated disturbance.

  • Schedule breeding-place inspections before finalising clearing boundaries and again if conditions change.
  • Stop and reassess if pregnant or lactating females, pups, a colony or repeated roost use is detected.
  • Seek specialist advice where survey results are ambiguous or a roost cannot be safely inspected.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan to avoid roosts and breeding places first. A least concern listing does not remove obligations where a colony or breeding place may be affected, especially in Queensland.

Screen the action under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 if the action could affect a protected matter. Make an EPBC referral where the legal screening indicates that a referral is required.

In Queensland, obtain the required high risk species management program for tampering with the breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder. Do not substitute the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

Check state and territory wildlife, animal ethics, capture, handling, relocation, clearing and protected-place requirements before work starts. Confirm that the spotter catcher and any survey or relocation contractors hold the required authorities.

  • Keep approvals, conditions, maps and contact details at the site office and in the supervisor's field pack.
  • Build all permit conditions into the clearing method statement, environmental management plan and induction.
  • Escalate any proposed change to the clearing footprint, timing or method for approval before proceeding.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and buffers

Retain known or suspected roost trees, maternity roosts, caves, culverts, bridges, buildings and associated vegetation wherever practicable. Protect the roost from vibration, lighting, dust, smoke, machinery contact and sudden changes to shelter or flight access.

Set a site-specific no-go area around each roost or breeding place. The ecologist should define the boundary from the structure, access route, disturbance type, colony response and permit conditions.

In the Northern Territory, check the current clearing controls for drainage lines, creeks and rivers. General guidance identifies 25 m from a drainage line, 100 m from creeks and 250 m from rivers, but these distances must not be treated as a substitute for a project risk assessment or current approval conditions.

  • Fence and sign exclusion areas before machinery arrives.
  • Retain connected riparian and adjacent native vegetation where feasible.
  • Keep night lighting directed away from roost entrances, waterways and retained vegetation, and use the lowest practical intensity.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and exclusion

Complete a final pre-clearance inspection shortly before work in potential roost habitat. Recheck trees, structures and ground conditions after storms, fire, flooding or design changes.

Use exclusion devices only when a competent bat ecologist confirms that bats can leave safely and cannot be trapped inside. Install them outside the maternity season unless the approved management program states otherwise.

Do not exclude bats from a maternity roost while pups are dependent or when exclusion could separate adults from young.

  • Use one-way devices only where the roost entrance and surrounding habitat have been assessed.
  • Monitor an exclusion device and remove it after the approved period, once the roost is confirmed empty.
  • Do not seal, fell or demolish a suspected roost until the surveyor and approval conditions confirm that the method is suitable.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Clearing method and induction

Use two-stage or soft felling for hollow-bearing trees that cannot be retained. First remove non-hollow vegetation and lower the hollow-bearing section carefully, then leave it undisturbed for the period specified by the ecologist before final handling.

Give all machinery operators, supervisors and spotter catchers a practical induction on bat signs, exclusion zones, stop-work authority, safe tree handling and the incident pathway.

Nominate one fauna lead with authority to stop work. Make that authority clear in the pre-start briefing and written method statement.

  • Mark every retained tree, potential roost and exclusion zone in the field.
  • Use a controlled drop zone that avoids crushing hollows and allows safe inspection.
  • Arrange approved holding equipment, transport containers, first aid contacts and a veterinarian or wildlife carer before clearing begins.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clearing must proceed slowly enough for the fauna team to inspect each risk area. Stop work whenever the agreed method no longer protects a bat, colony or breeding place.

Clear in stages from the lowest-risk area towards retained habitat and known roosts. Keep escape routes open and avoid isolating a roost tree with a sudden ring of cleared ground.

Inspect each hollow-bearing tree, loose-bark tree, structure and debris item before disturbance. Use an endoscope or pole camera where safe and appropriate.

Apply soft felling to approved hollow-bearing trees and leave felled hollow sections undisturbed for inspection before they are moved or chipped.

  • Use spotters on both sides of the work area where visibility is limited.
  • Pause for emergence or return activity if bats are seen near a tree or structure.
  • Do not burn, chip or bury hollow-bearing material until the fauna lead has released it.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Animals, colonies and breeding places

If a bat, colony, roost or breeding place is found, stop work in the immediate area and establish a temporary exclusion zone. The fauna lead must assess the site against the approval and management program before work resumes.

Do not enter, handle, move or release bats unless the person is authorised and competent for that task. Do not attempt to remove pups or separate young from adults.

A colony can contain a substantial share of the local population. Treat repeated use, clustered bats, pups, pregnant females or lactating females as a high-risk finding.

  • Photograph and map the finding without disturbing the animals.
  • Keep people, vehicles, generators, lights and dogs away from the roost.
  • Obtain advice from the project ecologist and relevant regulator before altering an active breeding place.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and injured animals

Handle bats only by authorised people using appropriate personal protective equipment and approved procedures. Avoid direct contact and minimise handling time.

Place a healthy displaced bat in a secure, ventilated container only when directed by the fauna lead. Keep it dark, quiet and at a stable temperature, and do not feed it unless instructed by a wildlife veterinarian or authorised carer.

Treat a grounded, injured or dead bat as a reportable fauna incident under the project procedure and relevant approvals.

  • Keep people away from the animal and prevent contact with pets.
  • Contact the nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority promptly.
  • Record the animal's location, condition, photographs, apparent injuries, action taken, handler and final outcome.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Stop-work records

Maintain a daily fauna register for all inspections, detections, captures, exclusions, injuries, mortalities and stop-work events. Link each entry to a map point and work area.

Record the weather, time, clearing stage, tree or structure identifier, bat evidence, colony or breeding-place status, permit decision and person who authorised the next action.

Report incidents within the timeframe set by the approval, management program or regulator.

  • Review records at each pre-start meeting.
  • Update exclusion-zone maps after every finding.
  • Do not restart work until the fauna lead documents the release to proceed.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Finish each work area with a fauna inspection and a clear record of what happened. Use the findings to adjust remaining works, not just to close out paperwork.

Inspect the cleared area, retained roost trees, felled hollow sections and nearby structures after each clearing stage. Look for grounded bats, trapped animals, damaged hollows, blocked entrances and new roost use.

Complete a final emergence or roost check where work has occurred beside a known or suspected breeding place.

Keep exclusion fencing and signs in place until the ecologist confirms that the risk has passed and the approval conditions allow removal.

  • Search under felled hollow sections and around machinery before the area is released.
  • Check culverts, buildings, bridges and temporary structures for bats displaced by vibration, demolition or lighting.
  • Photograph completed controls and record the date, observer and result.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitoring and relocated animals

Monitor retained roosts and any approved replacement roosts at a frequency and duration set by the permit, management program and ecological risk assessment.

Use emergence watches, acoustic detectors, visual inspections or endoscope checks as appropriate to the structure and season.

Where an animal has been relocated under approval, confirm its condition, release location, release timing and any subsequent detection.

  • Check for continued use by adults and evidence of pups during the next suitable breeding period.
  • Review acoustic files and roost observations with a qualified ecologist.
  • Escalate repeated absence, injury, mortality or renewed disturbance to the project manager and regulator where required.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Reporting and close-out

Prepare a completion report covering survey effort, roosts and breeding places, clearing methods, exclusions, animals handled, incidents, approvals, monitoring results and outstanding actions.

Compare actual works with the approved footprint, timing, buffers and method statement. Explain every variation and corrective action.

Retain photographs, maps, detector files, field sheets, permits and correspondence in the project environmental record.

  • Provide the report to the approval holder, relevant regulator and land manager when required.
  • Record lessons for the next clearing stage or project.
  • Do not close a fauna condition until all monitoring, rehabilitation and reporting commitments are complete.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every injury, mortality, breeding-place disturbance, failed exclusion or unexpected colony finding with the fauna lead and site supervisor.

Identify whether the cause was survey timing, inadequate marking, plant movement, lighting, noise, induction or a change in design.

Amend the method statement and retrain the crew before similar work continues.

  • Hold the review as soon as practicable after the incident.
  • Assign an owner and due date to each corrective action.
  • Share the revised controls at the next toolbox meeting.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roost and foraging habitat

Rehabilitation should restore shelter, connected vegetation and safe movement routes around retained roosts. Replacement structures can help where natural roosts cannot be retained, but they should supplement, not justify, the loss of a suitable natural roost.

Protect and regenerate native vegetation around retained hollows, creeklines, riparian forest and other habitat used by the species. The Pallid Long-eared Bat has been associated with wetter forest, monsoon or riparian settings and roosts in tree hollows and foliage near pandanus leaves.

Retain standing hollow-bearing trees and suitable fallen hollow sections where they are safe. Keep roost entrances, flight paths and nearby vegetation free of unnecessary obstruction.

Restore structural diversity, including mature trees, young recruitment trees, understorey and leaf litter.

  • Fence rehabilitation areas during establishment.
  • Use locally appropriate native species and provenance where practicable.
  • Protect waterways and drainage features from sediment, vehicle damage and unnecessary clearing.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replacement roost structures

Use bat boxes, nest boxes or other artificial roost structures only after a qualified ecologist confirms that their design, placement and microclimate suit local long-eared bats. The species' use of artificial structures is not well established.

Place replacement structures near retained habitat and potential foraging routes, with protection from excessive heat, flooding, predators, vandalism and strong artificial light.

Treat artificial structures as supplementary habitat. They do not replace the conservation value of a natural maternity roost or hollow-bearing tree.

  • Use several suitable structures rather than relying on one box where the risk assessment supports replacement habitat.
  • Inspect structures safely for occupancy and defects, without opening or disturbing them during the maternity period unless authorised.
  • Record design, materials, installation date, location, orientation, height and maintenance requirements.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, weeds and lighting

Maintain clean water and vegetated edges at waterways, culverts and ponds used by bats or their prey. Prevent sediment, pollutants and construction waste from entering water.

Control weeds without removing retained roost vegetation or applying chemicals near occupied roosts unless the treatment is approved and safe.

Design permanent lighting to protect dark movement corridors and roost entrances.

  • Use shields, timers, warm-colour sources and the lowest practical light level where lighting is needed.
  • Keep lights pointed away from riparian vegetation, tree hollows, pandanus foliage and replacement boxes.
  • Remove invasive plants that suppress native regeneration, while retaining temporary cover needed for erosion control.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation and replacement roosts through establishment and across at least one suitable breeding period where required by the approval or management program.

Use acoustic detectors, emergence watches and visual or camera inspections to assess use. Record non-use as a result, not as proof that the structures are unsuitable without further assessment.

Use monitoring results to repair, relocate or add structures only after ecological review and approval.

  • Check tree survival, hollow recruitment, vegetation cover, weed control, water quality and light spill.
  • Map all replacement structures and retained natural roosts for future maintenance crews.
  • Report outcomes, failures and corrective actions in the project's environmental performance review.

Sources