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Ride's Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops ridei)

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat is a small insect-eating microbat found across eastern and inland parts of Australia. It may roost in buildings, tree hollows, crevices and loose bark, so clearing and construction can affect roosts even where bats are only detected by calls. The species is listed as least concern in Australia, but in Queensland it is treated as a colonial breeder, and tampering with a breeding place requires a high risk species management program.

Conservation status

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

Breeding season

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat is a colonial breeder that gives birth in shared roosts during the warmer months. Breeding generally occurs from spring to late summer, with timing likely to vary between northern and southern parts of its range and between years.

Breeding mode: Live-bearing mammal that breeds in colonies, camps or shared maternity roosts.

Breeding timing: Usually in the warmer months, broadly spring to late summer. For project planning, treat September to February as the main maternity period.

Litter size: Usually one pup per year, based on the general pattern for Australian microbats.

Breeding frequency: Usually one pup each year. Species-specific confirmation for Ride’s Free-tailed Bat is limited.

Breeding places: Potential roosts include tree hollows, fissures, loose bark, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings. A colony has been recorded in the ceiling of a private residence.

Colony size and site fidelity: Typical colony sizes and the strength of site fidelity are not recorded. Do not assume that a small visible group represents the whole colony, or that an apparently empty roost is permanently unused.

Recognising an active breeding place: Confirmation may include pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated emergence from one roost, juvenile calls, fresh droppings and regular evening activity. Use acoustic detectors, emergence watches, harp traps or mist nets where appropriate, and inspect hollows with an endoscope or pole camera.

Protection during works: Colonies need special care because one breeding place can contain a large share of the local population. Avoid disturbance during the maternity period. Outside that period, use exclusion devices only after confirming that no bats remain, and use two-stage or soft felling for hollow-bearing trees. Bat boxes may supplement retained roosts but should not replace them.

Breeding timing can shift between regions and years, particularly with temperature, rainfall, food availability and local roost conditions, so confirm occupancy and breeding status at the work site before clearing or construction.

  • Breeding, mating and births: Mating and births are expected mainly during the warmer months, with spring to late summer used as the planning window.
  • Dependent pups in maternity roosts: Pups may remain dependent in shared roosts during the main maternity period, so avoid clearing or sealing occupied roosts at this time.
  • Colony and night activity: The species is an open-air foraging microbat and may be active at night throughout the year, although local activity can vary with weather, prey and roost conditions.
  • Highest clearing risk: September to February presents the highest risk of harming pups, maternity colonies or occupied breeding places, but an occupied roost requires protection in every month.

Identification: Appearance

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat is a free-tailed microbat. Field identification is usually based on echolocation calls and habitat context, rather than appearance alone.

The species is a small, insect-eating microbat with a free tail. A free-tailed bat has a tail that extends beyond the tail membrane.

Do not rely on a brief flight view for identification. Several Australian microbats are similar in size, colour and flight behaviour.

Identification: Calls and similar species

Echolocation calls have a highly variable slope and a characteristic frequency in the region of 30 kHz. Calls may be recorded by Anabat, Song Meter or similar full-spectrum or zero-crossing detectors.

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat can be difficult to separate from Gould’s Wattled Bat, Chalinolobus gouldii, and may overlap with calls of Balston’s Pygmy Bat, Scotorepens balstoni. Some calls are best reported as a species group unless the sequence is clear.

Call identification should be checked against geographic distribution, pulse shape, frequency and the length and quality of the sequence. A single short or noisy call should not be treated as a confirmed record.

Useful call feature: Around 30 kHz characteristic frequency, with variable slope

Field identification practice: Use several consecutive clear pulses, manual spectrogram review and a suitably experienced bat call analyst

Identification: Field signs

There is no reliable nest to search for. Look instead for bats, droppings, staining, odour, scratching sounds or repeated emergence from a potential roost.

Droppings below a roost may look like small dark pellets and can contain visible insect fragments. They may be difficult to distinguish from droppings of other small bats without supporting evidence.

A bat seen entering or leaving a hollow, roof cavity, bridge joint, culvert or building crevice is useful evidence, but one observation does not by itself confirm a maternity roost.

  • Check sheltered cavities and ledges without blocking the entrance.
  • Record the direction of flight, time of emergence and any repeated use of the same opening.
  • Use acoustic monitoring to confirm activity where visual inspection is inconclusive.

Distribution: Australian range

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat occurs mainly in eastern Australia. Records extend along the Great Dividing Range and to the coast, with some movement west along the Murray River.

The species has been mapped in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria.

It occurs mostly in eastern Australia, including areas along and east of the Great Dividing Range. It also occurs inland, including westward areas associated with the Murray River.

Survey records include sites in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Presence in a local area should be assessed from habitat, existing records and targeted survey results rather than assumed from broad distribution alone.

Mapped states and territory: New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria

Broad pattern: Mostly eastern Australia, with inland records including along the Murray River

Distribution: What the range means on a work site

A site may support the species even when there is no known colony nearby. Bats can commute between roosts and feeding areas, and acoustic records may represent animals using the wider landscape.

Treat records identified only to a mixed call group cautiously. Follow-up survey may be needed where clearing, bridge works, mine closure or building demolition could affect roosting habitat.

  • Check local biodiversity databases and previous fauna reports.
  • Map hollow-bearing trees, buildings, culverts, bridges, mines, caves and other potential roosts before clearing.
  • Keep a record of detector locations, survey dates and identification confidence.

Habitat: Vegetation and landscape features

The species uses a range of terrestrial habitats and can occur in modified landscapes. Retain potential roosts and connected flight paths wherever practicable, especially where suitable feeding areas occur nearby.

Look for mature trees with hollows, loose bark, fissures and broken limbs. Open woodland, parkland and areas with scattered hollow-bearing trees may provide roosting and commuting opportunities.

The species can also occur around buildings and other infrastructure. A bat recorded over cleared land may still be roosting in a nearby tree, roof cavity, bridge, culvert, mine or cave.

Creeks, rivers, dams, forest edges, clearings and other open flight paths may be used for movement and feeding, although site-specific habitat use can vary.

  • Mature woodland and open forest with hollow-bearing trees
  • River corridors and other connected vegetated areas
  • Edges between woodland, pasture, cleared land and built areas
  • Buildings, bridges, culverts, mines and caves within or near the work area

Habitat: Site assessment

Before works start, walk the site in daylight and map trees with hollows, loose bark and cracks. Include adjoining vegetation and structures that could be used as roosts.

Combine the habitat inspection with dusk emergence watches and acoustic detectors. This gives a stronger indication of how the site is being used than either method alone.

  • Mark potential roost trees and structures on the clearing plan.
  • Inspect cavities with an endoscope or pole camera where this can be done safely and without disturbing bats.
  • Plan access and lighting to avoid unnecessary disturbance around active roosts.

Foraging habitat: Where to look

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat is an open-air forager that catches insects in flight. It may forage over open vegetation, woodland edges and other uncluttered parts of the landscape.

Search over open woodland, parkland, paddocks, water edges, tracks, clearings and gaps between trees. The species may use areas with relatively open flight space rather than dense understorey.

The diet includes bugs, flies and beetles, with some moths and occasional spiders. Insect-rich vegetation, water edges and areas with connected tree cover may support feeding activity.

  • Open flight paths above or beside vegetation
  • Woodland edges and clearings
  • Creek lines, rivers, dams and other water-associated areas
  • Areas near mature trees that provide nearby roosting shelter

Foraging habitat: Survey and construction considerations

Acoustic detectors are useful for recording activity, but call overlap means that not every detection can be assigned confidently to this species. Use multiple recording nights where the project risk warrants it and have difficult calls reviewed by an experienced analyst.

High-flying microbats may pass above the canopy and, in some landscapes, at wind turbine rotor swept area height. For construction sites, also consider temporary lighting, night works and loss of commuting habitat.

  • Place detectors near likely flyways, water, woodland edges and potential roosts.
  • Record from sunset through the night when practical.
  • Avoid directing bright lights at roost entrances or narrow flight paths.

Breeding habitat: Breeding season

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat is a colonial breeder. Any roost where young are raised is a breeding place, including a tree hollow, building cavity, bridge space, culvert, cave, mine or other enclosed shelter.

Most microbats give birth to one pup a year during the warmer months, usually from spring to late summer. The exact timing can vary with region and conditions.

A maternity roost may contain pregnant or lactating females, dependent pups, adults carrying food, or young bats beginning to fly. A roost can be active even when few bats are visible during a daytime inspection.

Typical litter: Usually one pup per female per year for microbats

General breeding period: Spring to late summer, during the warmer months

  • Treat potential maternity habitat as sensitive during the warmer months.
  • Do not seal, fell or demolish a suspected maternity roost until its use has been assessed.
  • Seek project-specific ecological and regulatory advice where dependent young may be present.

Breeding habitat: Confirming a maternity roost

Confirmation is strongest when pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young are observed. Repeated emergence of females and young from the same entrance also supports confirmation.

Use dusk emergence watches, acoustic monitoring and, where safe, internal inspection with an endoscope or pole camera. Harp traps or mist nets may be used by appropriately experienced and permitted personnel, with animal welfare controls in place.

  • Conduct emergence watches at likely entrances.
  • Use Anabat or similar detectors to identify repeated activity and commuting routes.
  • Inspect hollow-bearing trees before felling, without inserting equipment where it could harm bats.
  • Stop work and obtain ecological advice if pups, lactating females or a concentrated emergence are found.

Breeding habitat: Work controls

Where a hollow-bearing tree must be removed, use staged or soft felling under the direction of a qualified fauna ecologist or spotter catcher. The first stage can reduce the chance of trapping animals, while the final stage allows remaining bats to leave safely.

Exclusion devices should only be installed outside the maternity season and after confirming that no bats or dependent young remain inside. Bat boxes may provide supplementary shelter, but they do not replace the protection of natural hollows or an active maternity roost.

  • Retain breeding trees and structures where practicable.
  • Use two-stage or soft felling for unavoidable hollow-bearing tree removal.
  • Install one-way exclusion devices only when timing, weather and inspection results are suitable.
  • Use bat boxes as a supplementary measure, not as an automatic replacement for a natural roost.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roosts

The species can shelter in both natural features and built structures. A potential roost may be hidden from view, so absence of visible bats during the day does not clear a structure for removal.

Potential natural roosts include tree hollows, deep fissures, cracks, loose bark and broken limbs. Retain large mature trees and standing hollow-bearing stags wherever the work design allows.

Inspect trees for entrances, bat noise, staining, droppings and repeated flight activity. A hollow may be used even when its entrance is small or difficult to see from the ground.

  • Hollow-bearing living trees
  • Standing dead trees with sound internal cavities
  • Loose bark and trunk fissures
  • Broken limbs, cracks and deep branch unions

Sheltering habitat: Built and underground roosts

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat has been recorded in the ceiling of a private residence. Buildings, roof cavities, bridge joints, culverts, mines and caves can provide similar enclosed shelter.

Before demolition, renovation, bridge maintenance, culvert replacement or mine closure, inspect cavities and conduct emergence monitoring. Pay particular attention to gaps that connect roof or wall cavities with the outside.

  • Roof spaces and ceiling cavities
  • Gaps in bridge decks, abutments and expansion joints
  • Culverts, drains and service structures
  • Mines, caves and rock fissures

Sheltering habitat: Handling a roost

Do not block a suspected entrance, fill a cavity or dismantle a structure while bats may be inside. Maintain a clear flight path from the roost during inspection and works.

If a bat is found during clearing or demolition, stop work in the immediate area. Keep people and machinery back, allow a safe exit where possible and contact the fauna ecologist or wildlife carer under the project procedure.

  • Use a spotter catcher or fauna ecologist for high-risk clearing.
  • Keep roost entrances free of temporary materials and spoil.
  • Record the feature, bat activity, weather and action taken.

Colonies and breeding places: Colony size and site fidelity

Colonies are groups of bats sharing a roost, especially during breeding. A colony or maternity roost may be hidden inside a hollow, roof cavity, bridge space, culvert, cave or mine, and one site can support a substantial part of the local population.

A species-specific typical colony size has not been established in the field records summarised here. Colony size can vary between roost types, seasons and regions, so do not judge the importance of a site from the number of bats seen at one inspection.

Microbats may return to known roosts and may use several roosts in the surrounding landscape. A quiet roost can therefore still have high local value, particularly if it is used for breeding.

  • Treat repeated use of one entrance as evidence of a valued roost.
  • Map nearby alternative hollows and structures before removing a roost.
  • Do not assume that a small visible emergence represents the whole colony.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

Strong indicators include pregnant or lactating females, pups, dependent young, repeated emergence of adults and young, or a concentration of bats inside a cavity. Droppings, staining, odour and squeaking can support the assessment but are not conclusive on their own.

Use a dusk emergence watch, acoustic detectors and a careful internal inspection. Harp traps or mist nets may help confirm species or condition when deployed by trained, permitted personnel.

  • Watch the entrance from before sunset until emergence activity has finished.
  • Check whether bats are carrying young or whether juveniles are emerging.
  • Use an endoscope or pole camera only where it can be done safely and without injuring bats.
  • Record the entrance, direction of flight, number of bats and behaviour.

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

A colony concentrates many animals in one place. Removing or sealing one breeding place can affect a large share of the local population, particularly when females and dependent young cannot relocate safely.

In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. This is different from the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

Queensland regulatory trigger: Tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program

Colonial breeder meaning: Animals of the same kind that co-exist in close association for breeding

  • Confirm the regulatory pathway before disturbing a suspected breeding place in Queensland.
  • Avoid clearing, demolition and exclusion during the maternity season.
  • Retain the roost where possible and plan staged works where removal cannot be avoided.
  • Use exclusion devices outside the maternity season, after confirming that no bats remain.

Colonies and breeding places: Colony protection on site

Fence and sign the roost area, brief all workers and keep machinery, lighting and vibration away from the entrance. Set a clear stop-work trigger for bats, pups or a concentrated emergence.

Bat boxes can supplement retained habitat, but they should not be used to justify destruction of an active maternity roost or removal of suitable natural hollows.

  • Nominate a responsible fauna contact for the work crew.
  • Use staged or soft felling for unavoidable hollow-bearing trees.
  • Monitor retained roosts and exclusion devices during works.
  • Document all inspections, emergence watches, exclusions and incidents.

Threats: Loss of roost trees and structures

The species is not currently listed as threatened, but local colonies and roosts can still be affected by poorly timed or uncontrolled works. Most project risk relates to loss of shelter, disturbance and injury rather than a lack of suitable feeding habitat alone.

Clearing hollow-bearing trees, removing loose bark, demolishing buildings or altering bridges and culverts can remove roosts. Replacing a mature hollow with a bat box does not provide an equivalent long-term resource.

Map and retain roost features during design. If removal is unavoidable, use an approved staged approach and provide supplementary roosting features where directed by the project ecologist.

  • Avoid removing mature hollow-bearing trees where practicable.
  • Inspect structures before demolition or refurbishment.
  • Retain standing hollow-bearing trees that are safe to keep.
  • Do not fill or cap hollows without confirming that they are unused.

Threats: Breeding-season disturbance

Noise, vibration, lighting, demolition and exclusion can cause adults to abandon a maternity roost or leave young trapped inside. Exclusion during the maternity season can result in injury or death.

Schedule high-risk works outside the maternity season where practicable. Confirm timing with a local ecologist because breeding activity can vary with region and weather.

  • Avoid sealing or excluding roosts while pups may be dependent.
  • Keep night lighting away from entrances and flight paths.
  • Use emergence monitoring before and after exclusion.
  • Stop work if pups or lactating females are found.

Threats: Injury during clearing and construction

Bats can be injured when hollow-bearing trees are felled, roof cavities are dismantled or roost entrances are blocked. They may also be trapped in buildings or structures when access points are closed.

Use trained fauna personnel for high-risk clearing. Apply two-stage or soft felling, inspect felled sections and provide a safe release or rehabilitation pathway under the project procedure.

  • Use a spotter catcher during relevant clearing.
  • Check tree sections, roof spaces and structures before disposal.
  • Keep machinery clear of marked roosts.
  • Record and report injured or displaced bats promptly.

Threats: Loss of landscape connectivity and insect habitat

Removal of woodland edges, riparian vegetation and mature trees can reduce commuting and foraging opportunities. Artificial light can also alter movement around roosts and feeding areas.

Retain connected vegetation, open flight paths and water-associated habitat where practicable. Use low-spill, directional lighting and switch off unnecessary lights near roosts.

  • Protect creek lines, river margins and woodland edges.
  • Retain groups of mature trees rather than isolated replacements only.
  • Minimise night lighting near roosts and likely flyways.
  • Continue acoustic or operational monitoring where the project has a high collision or disturbance risk.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat is an open-air foraging microbat that may be detected well above the ground, but it can also roost in buildings and tree hollows. Use more than one survey method where clearing could affect a hollow-bearing tree, building, bridge, culvert, mine or other potential roost.

Check current records, vegetation mapping, hollow-bearing trees, buildings, bridges, culverts, caves, mines and other structures before finalising the work area.

Treat records identified only as Ride’s Free-tailed Bat and Gould’s Wattled Bat, or other overlapping call groups, as requiring ecological review. Ride’s Free-tailed Bat calls can be difficult to separate from several other microbats.

Confirm whether the work may affect a colony, maternity roost or other breeding place. In Queensland, this affects the type of species management program required.

  • Map all potential roost structures and likely flight paths.
  • Review planning, environmental approval and permit requirements before clearing.
  • Include nearby roosts and structures that could be affected by vibration, lighting, noise or loss of access.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic detection

Deploy Anabat, Song Meter or similar detectors from sunset to sunrise. Place detectors near hollow-bearing trees, buildings, bridges, culverts, mine entrances, open woodland edges and likely flyways.

Use several consecutive nights where the risk warrants it, particularly when a roost is suspected or calls have been recorded previously. Survey in suitable weather, avoiding heavy rain and strong wind where possible.

Ride’s Free-tailed Bat has been recorded in acoustic surveys in April, March and late February. Most microbats give birth in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer, so increase scrutiny during this period.

  • Record detector type, location, height, orientation, dates, start and finish times, weather and any equipment faults.
  • Retain original call files and analysis outputs.
  • Have an experienced analyst review calls because Ride’s Free-tailed Bat can overlap acoustically with Gould’s Wattled Bat, Inland Free-tailed Bat and other species.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost and maternity surveys

Inspect potential roosts in trees and structures during daylight. Use an endoscope or pole camera only where this can be done safely and without damaging the roost.

Watch suspected roosts at emergence from before sunset until activity has ceased. Repeat the watch when weather, access or identification is uncertain.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under an appropriate animal ethics, welfare and permit framework, and only by trained personnel. Trapping can help confirm species, sex and breeding condition, but must not be used casually at a maternity roost.

  • Look for pregnant or lactating females, pups, fresh droppings, staining, squeaking, scratching, roost odour and repeated bat emergence.
  • Do not enter caves, mines, roofs or confined spaces without a safe work method and the required approvals.
  • Record the number of bats seen, the structure used, evidence of breeding, emergence direction and any signs of disturbance.

Survey methodology: 4. Interpreting a colony or breeding place

A colony or maternity roost is a shared place where bats gather to breed and raise young. It may be in a tree hollow, fissure, loose bark, cave, mine, culvert, bridge, roof or other building, including a ceiling void.

Species-specific colony sizes for Ride’s Free-tailed Bat are poorly documented. Do not assume that a small emergence represents the whole colony. One breeding place may support a large share of the local population.

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

  • Treat a site as active when pups, pregnant or lactating females, dependent young, repeated emergence, regular return to the same roost or fresh occupancy signs are found.
  • Use emergence observations, acoustic activity, inspection and, where authorised, capture data together. One method alone may not confirm breeding.
  • Record whether the roost appears permanent, seasonal or temporary. Site fidelity can be difficult to establish, so retain potential roosts unless use has been reasonably assessed.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance, approvals and permits

Plan to retain roosts and breeding places wherever practicable. Start approvals, surveys and crew planning early because a colony or maternity roost may require a change to the construction method or timing.

Redesign the work to retain occupied and potential roost trees, buildings and structures where practicable. Avoid removing access to a roost through fencing, sealing, lighting or construction staging.

Check whether the action may require an EPBC Act referral, a state approval, a wildlife permit or a permit to handle bats. Confirm requirements with the relevant regulator before work starts.

In Queensland, treat Ride’s Free-tailed Bat as a least concern colonial breeder. Tampering with its breeding place requires the high risk species management program pathway under the Nature Conservation framework, rather than the low risk pathway used for other least concern animals.

  • Obtain written approval for capture, handling, exclusion, relocation or disturbance.
  • Confirm who can approve a stop work decision and who must be notified.
  • Keep approval conditions and the fauna management plan at the work front.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Breeding place and colony protection

Schedule removal, demolition and exclusion works outside the maternity period where practicable. For microbats, assume the higher risk period is the warmer months, usually spring to late summer, unless a qualified ecologist confirms a different local pattern.

Do not seal, fell or demolish a suspected roost until use has been assessed. A ceiling, hollow or fissure can appear quiet during the day and still contain bats.

Set a site-specific no-go area around the roost and its access route. There is no single distance that suits every roost, so the ecologist should set the buffer according to the structure, species, activity, vibration, lighting and work method.

  • Retain the roost tree and connected vegetation where possible.
  • Prevent machinery, stockpiles, lighting and personnel from entering the buffer.
  • Keep the entrance and emergence flight path clear during construction.

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

Complete a pre-clearance inspection immediately before works. Recheck hollows, loose bark, buildings and structures if the work is delayed or conditions change.

Use exclusion devices only when no dependent young are present and outside the local maternity period. Use one-way devices designed by a bat specialist, and monitor them to confirm that bats can leave and are not trapped inside.

For hollow-bearing trees, use two-stage or soft felling. Remove non-hollow limbs first where safe, allow the tree to stand for a period set by the ecologist, then lower the trunk or hollow section carefully.

  • Have a qualified person inspect the tree or structure before each stage.
  • Place felled hollow sections, where safe and suitable, in a retained habitat area with entrances kept open.
  • Stop the process if bats, pups or signs of active breeding are found.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction and equipment

Brief all workers, machine operators and subcontractors before entering the work area. Show photographs of bats, roost signs, hollow features and the limits of the fauna exclusion zone.

Make the spotter catcher and supervising ecologist known to the crew. Explain that only authorised and trained people may handle bats.

Provide suitable gloves, a secure cloth bag, a ventilated holding container, head torches, a pole camera, inspection tools and contact details for a bat-capable veterinarian or wildlife carer.

  • Tell workers not to touch bats, even if a bat appears inactive.
  • Explain the stop work signal and radio procedure.
  • Keep domestic animals, unnecessary lighting and loud activity away from any held bat.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear habitat in a controlled sequence and keep a trained fauna spotter catcher present wherever fauna risk has been identified. Stop work whenever the approved method no longer matches the conditions on site.

Mark the approved clearing limits and fauna exclusion zones before machinery enters. Clear non-habitat vegetation first, then work towards retained habitat so animals have an escape route.

Use staged clearing around hollow-bearing trees, buildings and other potential roosts. Lower limbs and hollow sections slowly rather than allowing them to fall freely.

Inspect each felled hollow, section of loose bark and demolished roof or wall cavity before moving or crushing it.

  • Keep machinery outside the buffer until the spotter catcher releases the area.
  • Pause for daylight inspections and emergence observations where specified in the method statement.
  • Do not burn, chip or bury a hollow section until it has been checked.

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

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work immediately. A stop is required if a colony, maternity roost, active breeding place, bat or unassessed roost is found.

Move workers and machinery away from the roost. Keep the entrance open and reduce noise, vibration and lighting while the ecologist assesses the site.

Do not evict, seal, relocate or handle bats without the required authorisation and a written method.

  • Protect pups and dependent young in place wherever possible.
  • Reassess the buffer, timing and construction method before work resumes.
  • Notify the project manager and regulator where approval conditions require notification.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and temporary care

Only an authorised and trained person should handle a bat. Wear suitable gloves and avoid contact with the mouth, teeth, claws and body fluids.

Place a bat in a clean, breathable cloth bag inside a secure, quiet container. Keep it shaded and at a stable temperature, away from noise, heat, pets and direct light.

Do not feed, water or release a bat unless directed by a bat-experienced wildlife carer, veterinarian or other authorised person.

  • Record the exact location and time of capture.
  • Keep the holding period as short as possible.
  • Never release a bat into an unsuitable roost or during unsafe weather.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or dead animals

Treat grounded, injured, entangled or unusually exposed bats as requiring assistance. Do not attempt a rescue if there is a risk of a bite or unsafe access.

Contact the project’s nominated wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife authority immediately. Follow their instructions for containment, transport and release.

If a bat is found dead, leave it undisturbed until the authorised person records and collects it, unless it presents a safety or biosecurity risk.

  • Record injury, condition, photographs where safe, location, time and likely cause.
  • Use the approved wildlife incident and chain of custody forms.
  • Report suspected disease exposure or a bite promptly through the site health and safety process.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Field records

Maintain a daily fauna register. Record every inspection, emergence watch, roost sign, bat sighting, capture, release, injury, mortality, stop work event and approval decision.

Link records to tree numbers, structure names, photographs, detector locations and construction stages. Record negative findings as well as detections.

Update the fauna management plan when field conditions differ from the original assumptions.

  • Record species confidence and any unresolved call group.
  • Record weather, lighting, noise and work activity during each observation.
  • Submit records to the project ecologist before the end of each shift where practicable.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Do not treat completion of clearing as the end of fauna risk. Check retained roosts, felled hollows and construction areas, then close out every incident and approval condition.

Inspect the cleared area, retained trees, demolished cavities and any staged hollow sections after each work area is completed. Look for trapped, grounded or injured bats and newly exposed roost entrances.

Check that exclusion devices, fencing and no-go markers remain intact. Remove devices only after the ecologist confirms that no bats or dependent young remain inside.

Complete a final walkover before the area is handed to the next construction crew.

  • Inspect hollow sections before they are moved, chipped or burnt.
  • Check roofs, bridges, culverts and other retained structures for blocked entrances.
  • Record the date, person responsible, findings and photographs.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a completion report that compares actual works with the approved method. Include all detections, roosts, colonies, breeding evidence, captures, injuries, mortalities, exclusions and stop work events.

Report incidents to the relevant regulator, approval holder and land manager within the required timeframe. Keep evidence of notifications and responses.

Retain acoustic files, photographs, maps, permits, field sheets and wildlife care records with the project environmental records.

  • Close every approval condition with a responsible person and completion date.
  • Describe any change to clearing limits, timing, buffers or methods.
  • Provide the final fauna register to the project ecologist and client.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated and released animals

Confirm where each rescued bat was taken, who assessed it and whether it was released, transferred to care or found deceased. Release only under advice from an authorised wildlife professional.

Use a suitable nearby release site with shelter, safe flight space, food resources and no immediate construction hazard. Do not release a bat into an occupied colony without specialist advice.

Check release areas for hazards such as bright lighting, traffic, exposed water tanks, domestic animals and active machinery.

  • Record release date, time, location, condition and person responsible.
  • Do not release dependent young separately from the female or colony.
  • Review the release method if a bat is repeatedly found grounded or unable to fly.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Monitoring and incident review

Monitor retained roosts and replacement structures where the risk assessment or approval requires it. Use emergence watches, acoustic detectors and inspections suited to the site.

Review every mortality, failed exclusion, unexpected colony, delayed project or repeat capture. Identify whether timing, lighting, vibration, access or supervision contributed.

Update future clearing methods and inductions using the findings.

  • Compare post-work activity with baseline acoustic and emergence observations where baseline data are available.
  • Check monitoring after major changes in lighting, buildings, bridges or vegetation.
  • Escalate continuing activity at a construction-affected roost to the project ecologist and regulator.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roost habitat

Rehabilitation should restore roosting opportunities as well as vegetation. Ride’s Free-tailed Bat uses hollows, fissures, loose bark and buildings, so replacement measures need to match the local structures that were lost.

Retain live hollow-bearing trees, standing dead trees and fallen hollow sections wherever safe. Protect retained trees from soil compaction, root damage, fire, pruning and unnecessary lighting.

Replant locally appropriate native vegetation around retained roosts and along flight paths. Link roost areas with open routes through the landscape rather than creating isolated pockets.

Allow natural development of hollows over the long term by retaining suitable mature trees and recruitment trees.

  • Use local provenance plants where required by the rehabilitation plan.
  • Remove temporary stockpiles, fencing and materials from roost entrances.
  • Keep rehabilitation areas free from new access tracks and avoid night lighting.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replacement roost structures

Use bat boxes, roost boxes or other artificial roost structures only as supplementary measures. They do not replace an occupied maternity roost or a mature hollow-bearing tree.

Have a bat ecologist select the structure, location, orientation, height and installation method. Suitability for Ride’s Free-tailed Bat can vary because species-specific use of artificial structures is not well documented.

Where a building, bridge or culvert is retained, keep suitable crevices, roof spaces and sheltered cavities accessible, provided this does not create a safety or maintenance hazard.

  • Install replacement structures before clearing where practicable.
  • Use more than one structure type or location where the lost roost features were varied.
  • Inspect boxes and structures for occupation, overheating, water entry, damage and pest use.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, weeds and site condition

Control weeds around restored roost trees and revegetation areas without blocking entrances or disturbing occupied roosts. Use non-chemical methods near active colonies where practicable.

Protect water quality during earthworks and rehabilitation. Maintain natural drainage and avoid creating uncovered tanks, pits or other hazards for wildlife.

Manage erosion, dust, fire risk and construction lighting so that restored habitat remains usable at night.

  • Keep water tanks covered or fitted with safe escape devices.
  • Remove construction waste, wire, netting and loose materials that could entangle bats.
  • Inspect rehabilitation areas after storms, fires, flooding and major maintenance works.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Monitor retained and replacement roosts through the establishment period and for the duration required by approvals. Use emergence watches, acoustic monitoring and visual inspection as appropriate.

Record occupancy, evidence of pups, species confidence, structural condition, surrounding vegetation and nearby disturbance.

Continue monitoring long enough to identify seasonal use. A quiet box or hollow on one inspection is not proof that it is unsuitable.

  • Schedule checks during the warmer months as well as cooler periods where practicable.
  • Repair or replace failed structures only after confirming that they are unoccupied or following specialist advice.
  • Use monitoring results to improve future design, lighting and vegetation management.

Sources