RBWM Bat Map
This map shows the areas of the Borough that we are aware of that are currently regularly surveyed for bats covered by the Wilds teams (in green) and those areas either infrequently or not surveyed at all are highlighted in red.
All About Bats
We're slightly biased but we think bats are the Stars of the Night!
Bats have been on Earth for more than 50 million years.
Bats are mammals that belong to the order CHIROPTERA (from the Greek CHEIR – “HAND” and PTERON -“WING”), with more than 1,400 species, they are the second largest order of mammals. They are a diverse group of animals accounting for over 25% of the world's mammals, and are widely dispersed across six continents. Globally, bats provide vital ecosystem services in the form of insect pest consumption, plant pollination, and seed dispersal, making them essential to the health of global ecosystems.
In the UK, bats are indicator species because changes to our bat populations can indicate changes in aspects of biodiversity. For example bats might suffer when there are problems with insect populations (because our bats feed on insects) or when habitats are destroyed or poorly managed (for example, some bats only live in large woodlands).