Data Sheet

Diet: Western red bats feed on a variety of insects, including moths, flies, cicadas, and ants. They hunt in more open-space areas along forest edges and are commonly spotted feeding around street lights. 

Fun Fact: Western red bats are one of the few species of bat that regularly give birth to multiple pups– as many as four at a time!

Appearance: Western red bats have fluffy, amber colored fur and white patches on their shoulders. They can be distinguished from eastern red bats by their smaller skulls, lack of white tipped hairs on their back and less furry tails. 

Habitat: Western red bats roost almost exclusively in trees, where their coloring helps them blend among the leaves and branches. They prefer riparian habitat near water, and roost in sycamore, cottonwood, velvet ash, and elder trees.

Western red bats can also be found in fruit and nut orchards, particularly in California’s Central Valley. Individuals roost mostly alone, though can sometimes be spotted roosting in small clusters. 

Echolocation: Western red bats produce echolocation calls at pitches between 36 – 54 kHz. 

Conservation Concerns: Western red bats are considered migratory, and are among the species of bats commonly killed by wind turbine facilities. Other conservation concerns include habitat loss and pesticide use. 

Bat Conservation International Projects including the western red bat

• Bat and Wind Energy research and solutions
• North American Bat Monitoring Program

Additional Resources:

• Bat Species of the World
• IUCN RedList