At a glance
| Size: | Length 35–45 mm; wingspan 200–235 mm; weight 3–8 g. |
|---|---|
| IUCN (GB): | Least Concern. |
| Call peak: | ~45 kHz (useful to separate from soprano pipistrelle at ~55 kHz). |
| Active: | Emerges ~20 minutes after sunset; flies 2–10 m above ground. |
Fast, agile “edge” forager—often around hedgerows, woodland margins, gardens and water.
Identification
Small, medium–dark brown bat with a darker face and membranes. In the field, separation from P. pygmaeus (soprano pipistrelle) is best done acoustically: common pipistrelle usually shows a heterodyne peak near 45 kHz (vs. ~55 kHz).
Life history
- Breeding: Females form summer colonies (often dozens, c. 75 on average). Birth of a single pup (occasionally twins) typically in June–early July. Pups fly at ~4 weeks and forage independently by ~6 weeks.
- Mating: July–September; males defend small territories and perform song-flights with social calls.
- Lifespan: Frequently several years; maximum recorded in Europe ~12 years.
Roosting
Crevice-roosting. Common sites include modern buildings (behind hanging tiles, under barge/eaves/soffit boards, between felt and tiles or in cavity walls), tree holes/crevices, and bat boxes. Maternity roosts can move between nearby sites through the season.
Hibernation
Winter use is typically singly or in small numbers in narrow crevices in buildings or trees (and boxes). This species is often in relatively exposed, above-ground hibernation sites and is rarely found deep underground. Main hibernation period is roughly November–March (weather dependent).
Feeding & foraging
Diet is dominated by small flies—midges and mosquitoes—as well as other tiny dipterans and aquatic emergents. Often concentrates along edges (hedgerows, woodland margins, riparian corridors) and around street lights, ponds and ditches. Foraging flight is fast and jerky, close to vegetation.
Echolocation
Search-phase calls typically between ~45–70 kHz with peak intensity around 45–47 kHz (heterodyne detectors render this as a series of “wet slaps”). Social calls can dip into the audible range for some people.
Population & conservation
Widespread and common across the UK. After historic declines linked to agricultural intensification and toxic timber treatments, monitoring suggests stabilisation and recovery since the late 1990s (long‑term UK bat indicator shows upward trends for several species including pipistrelles). Principal pressures include prey loss (pesticides), roost loss during building works, lighting, and habitat fragmentation.
In Sussex
- Common and widespread—often the species most frequently recorded on bat detectors in towns, villages and farmland.
- Rewilding landscapes such as the Knepp Estate support multiple nursery roosts and rich edge habitats; surveys there have regularly recorded common pipistrelles among a high diversity of bat species.
- Local support: Sussex Bat Group runs surveys and events; Sussex Wildlife Trust reports pipistrelles as the county’s commonest bat.
Fascinating...
- There are 3 species of Pipistrelle bats in the UK; Common, Soprano (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) and the rarer Nathusius' (Pipistrellus nathusii). It wasn't until the 1990's that the species were fully separated. More info
How to help
- Retain hedgerows, tree lines and dark corridors; reduce artificial lighting.
- Create/maintain ponds and wildflower margins for insect prey.
- Install suitable bat boxes; time roof/soffit works outside sensitive periods and consult ecologists.