Bats are fascinating creatures that often go unnoticed. On the Windsor Estate, they find ideal places to rest in trees, buildings, and specially installed bat boxes. These roosts support at least 12 species, which use them for daytime shelter, maternity roosts and hibernation. With its rich woodlands and varied habitats, the Estate offers plenty of natural food and safe spaces for bats to feed and thrive.
The brown long-eared bat is a medium-sized British bat known for its exceptionally large ears. It uses quiet echolocation (sonar) and often gleans insects from foliage. Roosting in tree holes and buildings, it’s widespread across the UK and plays a vital role in controlling insect populations.
The common pipistrelle bat is one of the UK’s smallest and most widespread bat species. Weighing around 5 grams, it can fit into a matchbox. At dusk, it emerges to feed on small insects around our parkland trees and woodland clearings.
Daubenton’s bat is a small, agile species commonly seen over the water at Obelisk Pond and Virginia Water Lake. It hunts small insects just above water surfaces using echolocation (sonar). With a pinkish face and short ears, it roosts in trees or bridges which are widespread on the Windsor Estate.
The Noctule bat is the UK’s largest bat species, often seen flying high and fast at dusk over the Deer Park, Valley Gardens and the Village. It roosts in tree holes, feeding mainly on larger insects like beetles and moths.
The Serotine bat is one of the UK’s largest bat species, often seen flying at dusk in open habitats such as the open Park and farmland and along the forest rides of the Windsor Forests. It has broad wings, a slow flappy flight, and feeds mainly on beetles and moths, including dung beetles from our organic cow pats.
