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White-striped Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus australis)

The White-striped Free-tailed Bat is a fast-flying Australian microbat that roosts mainly in old tree hollows and forages above open vegetation, often well away from the roost. Large communal roosts can hold hundreds of bats, so clearing hollow-bearing trees or disturbing buildings and other roost features can affect many animals at once. The species is least concern nationally and is not listed as threatened in any Australian state or territory, 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.

Migration and breeding season

The White-striped Free-tailed Bat breeds in Australia, with mating beginning in late August and births from mid-December to late January. It moves north from southern Australia during winter and returns in spring, with timing varying between regions and years.

Breeding mode: Sexual reproduction in maternity colonies. One young is produced at a time, usually once each year.

Mating: Mating begins in late August.

Births and litter size: One young is born between mid-December and late January.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Weaning: Young are weaned by May.

Age at maturity: Females are sexually mature by August. Male maturity is not recorded.

Breeding places and colonies: Maternity roosts are mainly in large tree hollows, often in old eucalypts. Colonies can contain several hundred bats, while smaller roost groups are usually fewer than 20. Bats may return to a main roost and use a network of smaller roosts. An active maternity roost is best confirmed by pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated emergence activity, or bats entering and leaving a hollow. Colonies need special care because disturbance or loss of one large hollow can affect many local bats.

Breeding and movement timing can shift with latitude, local temperatures, insect availability and conditions in a particular year.

  • Northward movement from southern Australia: Bats move north during the cooler months, when warmer night temperatures and insect availability are found further north.
  • Return to southern Australia: Return movement occurs in spring, although arrival timing varies between locations.
  • Mating: Mating begins in late August, around the start of the spring breeding period.
  • Pregnancy and births: Females are pregnant in spring and early summer, with births mainly from mid-December to late January.
  • Dependent young in maternity roosts: Young remain associated with maternity roosts through summer and autumn and are weaned by May.
  • General activity and foraging: The species remains active throughout the year and does not enter torpor or hibernation, although winter movement changes where it is encountered.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk period is September to April, when works may disturb pregnant females, maternity colonies and dependent young, but occupied roosts require protection in every month.

Identification: Appearance

The White-striped Free-tailed Bat is one of Australia’s largest free-tailed bats. It is often detected by its unusually low, audible echolocation call and its fast flight in open airspace.

Fur is dark brown to black, with two white stripes along the sides of the belly and onto the wings. Some individuals have white chest patches, while others may be almost entirely black on the chest.

The species has long, narrow wings, a prominent throat pouch, large wrinkled lips and a tail that projects beyond the tail membrane.

Body weight: 26 to 48 g

Flight style: Fast, open-space flight, sometimes up to 50 m above the ground

Distinctive feature: White stripes along the belly and wing margins

Identification: Calls and echolocation

The search call is a regular metallic sound, often described as “ting, ting, ting”. It is one of the few Australian microbat calls that people can hear clearly.

The characteristic frequency is unusually low, commonly reported around 11 to 13 kHz, although recorded sequences can cover a wider range. An Anabat or similar detector is useful for confirming activity, particularly when calls are difficult to hear in site noise.

  • Listen after dusk over tree lines, open paddocks, creek corridors and other uncluttered flight paths.
  • Use acoustic recordings alongside habitat inspection. A call record confirms activity, but not the location of a roost or breeding place.

Identification: Similar species and field signs

The low, audible call and white-striped dark body are useful field characters. A bat specialist should confirm uncertain acoustic or visual records because several fast-flying microbats may share the same airspace.

Droppings may occur below hollow trees, under bark, at building roosts or below bridges and other structures. They are small, dark insectivore pellets and may crumble when pressed. Dropping accumulation, grease or rub marks around an entrance, a bat odour and repeated emergence activity can support a roost diagnosis.

  • Do not expect a nest. Bats use hollows, crevices and enclosed roost spaces rather than building a nest.
  • Whitewash is not usually a reliable sign for a tree-roosting microbat.
  • A quiet hollow can still be occupied. Inspect potential roost features without blocking entrances or inserting equipment unless authorised.

Distribution: Australian range

The White-striped Free-tailed Bat occurs widely across southern and eastern Australia and is capable of long-distance movement. Records also show that it can cross open water, including Bass Strait, although Tasmanian records are considered periodic vagrancy rather than evidence of an established breeding population.

The species is recorded in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia, as well as the Northern Territory outside its northern top end. It is broadly distributed through southern Australia and occurs in a wide range of inland, coastal, agricultural, forest and urban landscapes.

It is generally absent from the northern coastal parts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. Local distribution can be patchy where old hollow-bearing trees and suitable roost networks have been removed.

  • Look for records in southern and central New South Wales, southern Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and southern Western Australia.
  • In Queensland, the species occurs in urban, rural and forested areas, including the Brisbane region.
  • Tasmanian acoustic records include Woodsdale and Binalong Bay, but a resident breeding population has not been established.

Distribution: Movement across the landscape

The species can travel at least 50 km in a night and has been recorded over beaches, inshore waters and open sea. It may move between a main communal roost and a widely dispersed network of smaller roosts.

Seasonal movement is generally northward in winter, followed by a return south in spring. During June to August, expect reduced local activity in some southern areas and possible use of warmer northern areas.

  • Do not treat an absence of calls on one night as evidence that a site is unused.
  • Retain connected flight paths between hollow-bearing trees, creek lines, woodland remnants and open foraging areas where practicable.

Habitat: Vegetation and landscape features

This bat uses a broad range of habitats, from mature forests and woodlands to farms, grasslands, shrublands and cities. On a works site, the most useful clues are old eucalypts, hollow-bearing trees, connected tree lines and open airspace above vegetation.

The species is strongly associated with mature eucalypts, including forest red gums and grey gums. It has also been recorded in open woodland, lowland and tropical forest, scrub forest, farmland, semiarid country, grassland with isolated trees and urban bushland.

Creek lines, woodland edges, golf courses, pasture trees and forest remnants can all provide useful habitat. A site does not need to be intact forest to support the species.

  • Old trees with large limbs, dead branches, fissures or hollows.
  • Mature eucalypt stands and isolated paddock trees.
  • Creek lines, dams, ponds and open corridors between remnants.
  • Urban bushland, parks, golf courses and large gardens with mature trees.

Habitat: Features to check before clearing

Map hollow-bearing trees and likely roost structures before machinery arrives. Include trees that appear dead or partly dead, because dead stumps, loose bark and crevices can also provide shelter.

Check whether the site connects to other mature trees or open flight corridors. A single tree may be part of a larger roost network, even when no bats are visible during the day.

  • Record tree species, condition, hollows, cracks, loose bark and estimated height.
  • Photograph entrances and note whether droppings, staining, odour or recent use are present.
  • Inspect nearby buildings, sheds, attics, barns, silos, culverts, bridges and other enclosed structures where bats could shelter.

Foraging habitat: Where to expect activity

The White-striped Free-tailed Bat hunts in open airspace and can cover large distances from a roost. It often feeds above the canopy, along creek lines and across open paddocks, wetlands, beaches and urban clearings.

The species flies quickly and commonly hunts high above ground, sometimes up to 50 m. It feeds above tree canopies and along open edges, rather than moving mainly through dense understorey.

It can forage over water and has been observed more than 2 km from land, 6 km offshore from Wollongong and 46 km east south east of Sydney Heads. These records show that construction sites near the coast, rivers, dams and wetlands may still be used for feeding.

  • Open woodland and forest edges.
  • Creek corridors and riparian vegetation.
  • Pasture with isolated trees, farm dams and wetlands.
  • Urban parks, golf courses, road reserves and cleared areas beside mature trees.
  • Beaches, estuaries and inshore waters.

Foraging habitat: Diet and timing

The diet is dominated by flying insects, including moths, beetles, grasshoppers and other bugs. Ants and other ground-dwelling insects may also be taken.

Activity usually begins after dusk and can continue through the night. Warm evenings with abundant insects may produce frequent audible calls, particularly in summer.

  • Avoid judging the value of a site only by daytime observations.
  • Use dusk emergence watches and acoustic monitoring to identify regular flight paths and feeding areas.
  • Retain insect-producing vegetation, water features and connected open corridors where these can be incorporated into the project.

Breeding habitat: Breeding season

Breeding is associated with sheltered roosts, especially large tree hollows. The species usually produces one young, so losing a maternity roost can affect a substantial part of the local population even when only a few bats are seen during routine inspections.

Mating begins in late August. Females are pregnant in spring and early summer, and one young is generally born from mid December to late January. Young are weaned by May, before the next breeding season begins.

Most microbats give birth to one pup in the warmer months. Treat hollow-bearing trees and other enclosed roosts as potentially important during spring and summer unless a qualified ecologist confirms otherwise.

Young per litter: Usually one

Birth period: Mid December to late January

Weaning: By May

Mating: Begins in late August

  • Avoid disturbing suspected maternity roosts during pregnancy, birth and the period when pups are dependent.
  • If work must occur near a suspected breeding place, obtain project-specific ecological and regulatory advice before disturbance.
  • Do not rely on a single empty inspection to clear a tree. Bats can move between a network of roosts.

Breeding habitat: How to confirm a maternity roost

Confirmation is strongest when pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young are found. Repeated emergence of adults from the same feature, calls from within a hollow and fresh droppings can add supporting evidence.

An endoscope or pole camera may help inspect a suitable hollow where access is safe and authorised. Use a qualified fauna ecologist, minimise handling and avoid blocking the entrance.

  • Pregnant or lactating females.
  • Pups or young unable to fly independently.
  • Repeated emergence from one tree or enclosed structure.
  • Fresh droppings, staining, grease marks or odour below an entrance.
  • Acoustic activity concentrated at a roost feature.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roost features

The species is primarily a hollow-roosting bat, but it can use several enclosed or protected structures. The strongest site records are from old eucalypt hollows, with additional use of bark, dead trees and buildings.

Look for large old eucalypts with trunk hollows, branch hollows, splits, deep fissures and loose bark. Dead stumps and crevices in dead trees can also provide shelter, particularly for single bats or small groups.

The species is known to use hollow trees as communal and maternity roosts. Caves and mines are not established as important roosts for this species, but any enclosed microbat feature encountered during works should be assessed rather than assumed to be empty.

  • Hollow-bearing live trees.
  • Dead trees, dead stumps and large limb cavities.
  • Loose bark and deep fissures.
  • Tree hollows connected to a wider network of mature trees.

Sheltering habitat: Built structures and artificial roosts

Buildings may provide roost space in ceilings, attics, barns and silos. Microbats can also shelter in fissures, culverts, bridges and other protected infrastructure, although the importance of each feature must be assessed on site.

The species will use bat boxes. Records include boxes about 6 m above ground, with entrance slits around 16 to 20 mm, although boxes are a supplementary measure and do not replace mature hollow-bearing trees.

  • Inspect ceilings, roof voids, wall cavities and gaps before demolition or roof works.
  • Check culverts, bridges and other structures for droppings, staining, odour and evening emergence.
  • Use bat boxes only as part of a broader habitat and roost management plan.
  • Keep approaches to replacement boxes open and free of dense vegetation.

Sheltering habitat: Roost inspection and tree works

Where a hollow-bearing tree must be removed, use a staged approach designed by a qualified ecologist. Two-stage or soft felling can reduce the risk of crushing bats and may allow animals to leave before the trunk is sectioned.

Exclusion devices may be suitable for some buildings or structures, but they must not be installed while dependent young are present. Schedule exclusion outside the maternity season and confirm that bats can leave but cannot return.

  • Inspect hollows before works using an endoscope or pole camera where safe.
  • Use emergence watches and acoustic monitoring when occupancy is uncertain.
  • Retain the tree, or retain sections containing hollows, wherever practicable.
  • Have a rescue and temporary care procedure agreed before clearing begins.

Colonies and breeding places: Colony size and site fidelity

Colonies can be much larger than the small groups seen in ordinary roosts. A large communal hollow may act as a hub for a network of smaller roosts, and repeated use of the same tree means that one site can represent a substantial share of the local population.

White-striped Free-tailed Bats may roost alone or in small groups of around 10 or fewer. Maternity and communal colonies can contain up to several hundred bats, with records of up to 300 in one tree.

Smaller groups may move among roosts associated with a main colony. One Brisbane communal roost tree was used for more than 20 years, showing that long-term site fidelity is possible.

Small roost groups: Often around 10 or fewer

Recorded large colony: Up to 300 individuals

Known roost fidelity example: More than 20 years of use by a colony

Network scale example: Smaller roosts distributed across 200 km² in Brisbane

  • Treat a large hollow, even with few visible bats, as part of a possible roost network.
  • Map nearby hollow-bearing trees within the work area and along access routes.
  • Consider seasonal movement between the main roost and smaller satellite roosts.

Colonies and breeding places: What an active breeding place looks like

An active breeding place may have repeated evening emergence, bats returning before dawn, fresh droppings, staining around an entrance and a noticeable bat odour. The clearest confirmation is the presence of pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young.

Breeding places may be in tree hollows, buildings or other enclosed structures. For Queensland projects, a place used by bats to raise young is a breeding place, including a roost used by young microbats.

  • Watch the feature from a distance from before sunset until activity has finished.
  • Use an Anabat or similar detector to record repeated activity at the feature.
  • Use harp traps or mist nets only under an approved, species-appropriate survey plan and with experienced personnel.
  • Do not enter or seal a suspected maternity roost during the period when young are dependent.

Colonies and breeding places: Survey and management approach

A practical assessment combines daytime habitat inspection, acoustic monitoring and an emergence watch. A harp trap or mist net may help identify species and sex, but capture is difficult for this fast-flying bat and should not be the only method.

If a hollow-bearing tree is to be removed, inspect it before works and use soft or two-stage felling where appropriate. Retain nearby roost trees and install exclusion devices only outside the maternity season, after confirming that no young remain.

  • Plan surveys across suitable weather and more than one night when the question is whether a roost is regularly used.
  • Use a pole camera or endoscope only where it can be done safely and without damaging the roost.
  • Keep machinery, lighting and unnecessary personnel away from suspected roost entrances.
  • For Queensland projects, obtain the required high risk species management program before tampering with a breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder.

Colonies and breeding places: Why colonies need special care

A single tree can shelter a large proportion of the local colony. Removing it can also break the link between a maternity roost and the smaller roosts used at other times of year.

Dependent young cannot relocate or forage independently. Disturbance during breeding can therefore cause direct mortality, abandonment or loss of a long-used roost network.

  • Protect the main colony tree and nearby satellite roosts.
  • Keep access tracks, laydown areas and night lighting away from roost entrances where practicable.
  • Stage unavoidable works so bats have safe alternative roosting opportunities before the original feature is disturbed.
  • Use bat boxes as supplementary habitat, not as a substitute for mature hollow-bearing trees.

Threats: Loss of hollow-bearing trees

The main development risks are loss of old hollow-bearing trees, disturbance of occupied roosts and fragmentation of the wider roost network. Fire, clearing and removal of mature vegetation can reduce both roosting and insect-foraging habitat.

Clearing old eucalypts, dead stumps and trees with loose bark removes roosts that may have taken centuries to form. Large communal and maternity hollows are especially difficult to replace.

Retain mature trees wherever practicable, including trees outside the immediate construction footprint if they form part of a connected roost network.

  • Avoid unnecessary removal of hollow-bearing trees.
  • Redesign access, services and compound areas around high-value trees where feasible.
  • Retain fallen hollow sections safely where they continue to provide shelter.
  • Record and protect replacement trees for future hollow development.

Threats: Disturbance and demolition

Tree felling, demolition, roof works, bright lighting and vibration can disturb bats in hollows and buildings. Sealing an entrance can trap animals inside or separate females from young.

Inspect buildings and structures before demolition or refurbishment. Use exclusion only when no dependent young are present and when a suitable exit arrangement has been designed.

  • Complete pre-clearance inspections of trees, buildings, culverts and bridges.
  • Use soft or two-stage felling for occupied or potentially occupied hollow trees.
  • Avoid night works close to active roost entrances where practicable.
  • Stop work and seek ecological advice if bats, pups or a suspected maternity roost are found.

Threats: Fire, clearing and habitat fragmentation

Frequent or severe wildfire can damage hollow-bearing trees and reduce the surrounding woodland used for feeding. Clearing can remove roosts, break flight corridors and reduce insect habitat.

Maintain reserves, creek corridors, urban bushland and mature trees near development areas. Keep retained habitat connected to other patches where possible.

  • Protect hollow-bearing trees during planned burns and wildfire response where safe.
  • Limit vegetation clearing around mature eucalypts and creek lines.
  • Avoid unnecessary removal of insect-producing vegetation and water features.
  • Use lighting designs that minimise spill onto roost entrances and flight corridors.

Threats: Regulatory and project controls

The species is least concern and is not listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened in Australia. Least concern does not mean that an occupied breeding place can be disturbed without controls.

In Queensland, the White-striped Free-tailed Bat is a colonial breeder under the relevant fauna management framework. Tampering with its breeding place requires a high risk species management program, rather than the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

  • Confirm state and territory approval requirements before clearing.
  • Engage a suitably qualified fauna ecologist for roost and breeding-place assessments.
  • Keep survey results, tree maps, photographs, permits and fauna handling records with the site environmental controls.
  • Brief clearing crews on stop-work triggers and the procedure for injured, trapped or dependent bats.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey effort should focus on hollow-bearing trees, old eucalypts, buildings and other structures that could support a roost. Combine acoustic detection with direct inspection and, where needed, trapping or emergence surveys.

Map old eucalypts, hollow-bearing trees, dead stumps, loose bark, buildings, bridges, culverts, mines and other enclosed structures within and near the work area.

Review previous fauna records, land-use history, aerial imagery and information from landholders. Look for large trees that could support a main colony and nearby smaller roosts.

Treat a site as potentially significant where several suitable hollows occur together, bats have been recorded repeatedly, or a large colony has been reported nearby.

  • Record the location, species and condition of each potential roost.
  • Identify proposed access tracks, laydown areas, crane pads and other indirect disturbance areas.
  • Check whether the work may affect an EPBC listed matter or trigger Queensland, New South Wales, Victorian, South Australian, Western Australian, Tasmanian or Northern Territory requirements.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and activity surveys

Use Anabat or a similar detector at dusk and during the first part of the night. The White-striped Free-tailed Bat often produces an audible, regular metallic call, described as ting, ting, ting.

Use detectors near hollow-bearing trees, along creek lines, over open areas and at likely flight paths. Include the edges of the clearing area, because this species often flies high and quickly above the canopy.

Survey in dry, reasonably calm conditions when bats are likely to be active. Avoid relying on a single poor-weather survey. Repeat surveys where results are uncertain or where a potential maternity roost is present.

  • Record date, start and finish time, weather, wind, rain, detector location and detector settings.
  • Save the original call files and retain the call identification basis used by the specialist.
  • Record bat passes, feeding activity, flight direction, height where it can be estimated, and any concentration of activity near a structure or tree.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost and maternity surveys

Inspect tree hollows, fissures, loose bark, dead stumps, buildings, culverts, bridges and other enclosed spaces before disturbance. Use a pole camera or endoscope where this can be done safely and without entering the roost.

Conduct emergence watches from before sunset until activity has reduced. Check several likely exits where a tree or structure has multiple hollows.

Use harp traps or mist nets only under an approved survey design and by suitably trained and authorised personnel. Handle bats for the minimum time needed for identification and release.

Confirm a maternity roost by evidence such as pregnant or lactating females, dependent pups, repeated emergence activity or pups seen within the roost. A roost where young are raised is a breeding place.

  • Record entrance location, roost type, tree species, tree condition, hollow height where visible, signs of use, emergence numbers and photographs.
  • Record whether bats are solitary, in small groups or in a large colony. Colonies can contain several hundred bats, while smaller roosts may contain fewer than 20 or around 10 individuals.
  • Do not block, enter or probe a suspected maternity roost during inspection.

Survey methodology: 4. Interpreting survey results

A lack of calls or visible bats does not prove that a roost is unused. White-striped Free-tailed Bats can move among a network of roosts and may use a main colony intermittently.

Treat repeated records, high evening activity, several occupied hollows, or evidence of females and pups as grounds for a higher level of protection.

Have a suitably experienced ecologist review uncertain calls, unusual records and any proposed removal of a large hollow-bearing tree.

  • Map all confirmed and potential roosts in the site environmental plan.
  • Keep survey data linked to the tree or structure identifier used during clearing.
  • State clearly whether the survey confirmed a roost, a maternity roost, a colony, general activity only, or no detection.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance, approvals and permits

Avoiding a roost is the safest management option. Plan clearing and construction around the local breeding cycle, seasonal movement and the legal status of the work, rather than relying only on a pre-clearance inspection.

Retain old eucalypts, hollow-bearing trees, dead stumps and known roost structures wherever practicable. Keep the main colony tree and the surrounding network of potential roosts within the retained habitat.

Obtain project-specific advice on whether an EPBC referral is required. Check state and territory approvals before clearing, demolition, bridge work or disturbance to wildlife.

In Queensland, treat the White-striped Free-tailed Bat as a colonial breeder. Tampering with its breeding place requires the high risk species management program for a least concern colonial breeder under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. Do not use the low risk program for other least concern animals where the work affects a breeding place.

Obtain any required state wildlife permits, animal handling authorities, relocation approvals and construction or vegetation clearing approvals before work starts.

  • Include roost protection in the construction environmental management plan.
  • Nominate the approval holder, fauna spotter catcher and ecologist responsible for decisions.
  • Stop planning until the approval pathway is resolved if a maternity roost or colony may be affected.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Timing and buffers

Use local survey results to set the work window. Avoid disturbance to a confirmed maternity roost while pregnant or lactating females and pups are present.

Late spring to late summer is a sensitive period for breeding based on recorded breeding information for the species. In southern areas, winter movement can also affect roost occupancy, with bats moving north in the colder months and returning in spring.

Set a no-go area around each retained roost and colony. The ecologist should define the buffer according to the roost structure, flight paths, work type, noise, vibration, lighting and the risk of tree or structure failure.

Do not set a generic buffer where a large colony, maternity roost or connected roost network is involved. Extend protection to access routes and machinery movements that could damage roots, trunks or nearby roost trees.

  • Schedule high-noise, high-vibration and demolition work outside the approved sensitive period where practicable.
  • Retain uncluttered flight paths from known roost entrances.
  • Use low-spill, warm-coloured lighting and direct lights away from roost entrances, retained trees and likely flight paths.

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

Complete a final pre-clearance inspection shortly before works begin. Recheck all trees, buildings and structures identified during the desktop and detailed surveys.

Use emergence observations, acoustic monitoring and internal inspection where safe. A pre-clearance check must not replace earlier seasonal surveys where breeding risk is present.

Only install exclusion devices under an approved method and outside the local maternity season. Use one-way devices only where the ecologist is satisfied that no pups remain inside and that bats can safely leave.

Do not seal, fell or demolish a structure that may contain a maternity colony until the breeding place has been cleared under the approved method.

  • Mark retained roosts and exclusion areas on the ground with durable flagging and signs.
  • Inspect exclusion devices daily or as required by the approval until the roost is confirmed vacant.
  • Remove exclusion devices promptly after the work or keep them maintained if the structure is being retained as a roost.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction and readiness

Induct every worker, operator and subcontractor before entering the clearing area. Show photographs and maps of the White-striped Free-tailed Bat, protected roosts, exclusion zones and likely find locations.

Explain that a colony or breeding place can contain a large share of the local population. Explain the stop-work procedure and the requirement to call the fauna spotter catcher immediately.

Confirm that only authorised people may handle bats, open a roost, install exclusion devices or approve a change to the clearing sequence.

  • Keep the fauna spotter catcher contact details at each work front.
  • Place a first aid container for wildlife, a ventilated holding container and suitable gloves in the fauna vehicle.
  • Brief operators on staged felling, soft felling and the limits of their authority.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential and soft clearing

Clearing must be slow, staged and supervised. The fauna spotter catcher has authority to stop work whenever a bat, active roost, breeding place or unexpected hazard is found.

Clear non-habitat vegetation first, then work towards hollow-bearing trees and other high-risk structures under direct supervision.

Use two-stage or soft felling for hollow-bearing trees where removal is approved. Cut limbs and sections carefully, lower them rather than dropping them, and pause between stages to allow animals to leave.

Do not fell a tree directly onto retained habitat, a known roost, a colony tree or a marked exclusion area.

Inspect each felled section, hollow and cavity before it is chipped, mulched, buried or removed. Use a pole camera where the cavity cannot be inspected safely from the ground.

  • Maintain a clear escape route from the tree or structure into retained habitat.
  • Keep machinery clear until the fauna spotter catcher has completed the inspection.
  • Record the tree number, felling method, inspection result and any animal found.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work response to a find

Stop machinery and isolate the area if a bat, pup, occupied hollow, colony, maternity roost or other active breeding place is found.

Keep people quiet and away from the entrance. Do not shine lights into the roost, smoke the roost, block the entrance or try to flush bats out.

Call the project ecologist and approval holder. Recheck the approval and species management program before work resumes.

If pups, pregnant females, lactating females or a large group are present, treat the site as an active breeding place and leave it undisturbed unless the approved program specifically authorises the next action.

  • Set a temporary exclusion zone around the find.
  • Photograph the location without handling the animal or disturbing the roost.
  • Record the time, weather, location, roost type, number of bats, evidence of breeding and work being undertaken.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and release

Only an authorised fauna spotter catcher or other permitted person may handle a bat. Use appropriate gloves and minimise handling time.

Place a live bat in a secure, clean, ventilated container. Keep it dark, quiet and at a stable temperature while advice is obtained.

Release a healthy bat only when the authorised person confirms that release is lawful and safe. Use suitable nearby habitat and avoid releasing it into direct sun, heavy rain, traffic or an active work area.

Do not relocate a colony or maternity group unless this is specifically authorised and directed by the relevant wildlife authority and project ecologist.

  • Do not give food or water unless directed by a bat rehabilitator or veterinarian.
  • Keep injured, grounded, weak or orphaned bats separate from healthy animals.
  • Treat any bite or scratch as a potential health incident and follow the site medical procedure immediately.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured animal and incident pathway

Contact the authorised wildlife rehabilitator, veterinarian or wildlife authority for an injured bat. Keep the animal contained and undisturbed until instructions are received.

Do not attempt treatment, euthanasia or release without the required authority and professional direction.

Notify the site manager and ecologist of every bat injury, death, unauthorised disturbance or breach of the exclusion zone.

  • Record the finder, time, location, apparent cause, photographs, action taken and final outcome.
  • Preserve the tree, structure or work area where the incident occurred until the ecologist has inspected it.
  • Report notifiable incidents within the timeframe set by the approval, permit or species management program.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that no animals remain trapped and that protection measures worked. Review all findings before the next work stage, especially where hollow-bearing trees or a roost network has been disturbed.

Inspect the cleared area, felled tree sections, demolition debris, cavities and exclusion devices after each work stage.

Complete an evening emergence check where a roost was present, where a structure was opened, or where the pre-clearance result was uncertain.

Search retained trees and nearby habitat for grounded, trapped or injured bats. Keep machinery out of the area until the check is complete.

  • Confirm that every approved tree or structure was treated as specified.
  • Check that no hollow section has been buried, chipped or removed before inspection.
  • Photograph the completed work and update the roost map.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance records

Prepare a fauna clearance record for each work front. Link the record to the permit, approval, species management program and site map.

Report colony, maternity roost, breeding place and injury outcomes to the project ecologist and relevant authority as required.

Retain acoustic files, photographs, trap records, emergence sheets, handling records, release details and rehabilitator advice.

  • Record dates, personnel, weather, methods, trees or structures affected, animals found and actions taken.
  • Record all stop-work events, approval changes and permit conditions that were applied.
  • Provide the final fauna report to the project manager and approval holder before practical completion.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring relocated or released animals

Monitor released or relocated bats only where this is required by the approval, species management program or ecologist. Do not assume that a bat has survived because it flew away.

Check replacement roosts and retained habitat for use through acoustic monitoring, emergence watches or inspection, as appropriate to the site.

Pay particular attention to signs of repeated use, females with pups and movement between the main roost and smaller roosts.

  • Use the same detector locations and recording approach where a before and after comparison is needed.
  • Record occupancy, activity, evidence of breeding, roost condition and any new disturbance.
  • Escalate declining use, repeated injuries or unexpected colony movement to the ecologist.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review and adaptive management

Hold a review after any roost disturbance, animal injury, unplanned tree failure, failed exclusion or breach of the work method.

Identify whether the cause was survey coverage, timing, supervision, equipment, induction, weather or a change in site conditions.

Update the clearing sequence, exclusion area, induction and monitoring plan before work continues.

  • Close out corrective actions with a named person and due date.
  • Share lessons with the fauna spotter catchers, supervisors and machine operators.
  • Seek approval advice before changing a method that is described in a permit or species management program.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Retain and restore habitat

Rehabilitation should restore roosting, foraging and movement habitat, not just replace cleared vegetation. The species is strongly associated with old trees and hollow networks, so replacement structures should supplement, not replace, retained habitat.

Protect existing old eucalypts, hollow-bearing trees, dead stumps, loose bark features and mature vegetation during rehabilitation and future maintenance.

Replant locally appropriate eucalypts and other native vegetation that will restore canopy, creek-line habitat and open flight paths. Keep plantings connected to retained bushland where practicable.

Leave suitable fallen timber and dead trees where they do not create a safety hazard. Do not remove natural hollows during routine site maintenance.

Control weeds so that native regeneration can establish and roost trees are not damaged by climbing or smothering plants.

  • Use local provenance plants where suitable for the project.
  • Protect young plantings from browsing, fire damage and machinery.
  • Maintain a mosaic of woodland, forest, grassland and open flight areas rather than creating dense vegetation around roost entrances.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replacement roost structures

Use bat boxes, artificial hollows or other roost structures only where they suit the local habitat and are designed and installed by a suitably experienced person.

Install several structures where a roost network has been lost, because the species may use a main communal roost and smaller satellite roosts. Boxes should have an uncluttered approach and be placed where bats can reach them safely.

Use boxes as supplementary habitat. They do not replace a large hollow-bearing tree or an active maternity roost.

Inspect boxes for occupancy, overheating, water entry, ants, damage and maintenance needs. The species has used boxes, but box use can vary between designs and seasons.

  • Choose the design, entrance and placement with a bat ecologist rather than using a generic bird nest box.
  • Keep a register of box number, location, height, orientation, installation date and condition.
  • Do not open or move an occupied box during the likely maternity period.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Water, fire and lighting

Protect creeks, dams, ponds and other water features used by insects and bats. Prevent sediment, chemical runoff and construction waste from entering water.

Manage fire to protect old trees, hollow-bearing trees and retained roost structures. Avoid repeated intense fire around known roosts.

Limit night lighting near retained habitat, roosts and flight paths. Use lights only where needed, direct them downward and shield them from roost entrances.

  • Use warm-coloured, low-spill lighting where lighting cannot be avoided.
  • Keep water sources free of rubbish, oil and concrete washout.
  • Include roost trees and replacement structures in the bushfire and asset protection plan.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Long-term monitoring

Set monitoring objectives before rehabilitation starts. Measure roost occupancy, bat activity, condition of replacement structures and the recovery of surrounding habitat.

Use acoustic detectors, emergence watches and inspection of boxes or artificial roosts where appropriate. Repeat monitoring at a frequency set by the approval and the risk of the project.

Review the results with the project ecologist. Repair or replace failed structures, adjust lighting and weed control, and protect newly used roosts.

  • Compare post-work results with pre-work records where those records are available.
  • Record evidence of a colony, maternity roost, females, pups and use of nearby satellite roosts.
  • Continue monitoring long enough to detect seasonal use and movement between roosts.

Sources