Bats are essential for controlling insect populations. All bats in Alberta eat insects, including mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and flies. A single bat can eat thousands of insects in one night, sometimes up to half its body weight. By reducing insect populations, bats help limit the need for pesticides and support a healthy, balanced ecosystem.

Alberta is home to 9 bat species:

• Big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus)
• Little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus)
• Silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans)
• Red bat (Lasiurus borealis)
• Hoary Bat (Lasiurus cinereus)
• Long-eared bat (Myotis evotis)
• Northern myotis (Myotis septentrionalis)
• Western small-footed bat (Myotis ciliolabrum)
• Long-legged bat (Myotis volans).

Seven of these can be found in Calgary during the summer months – all except for the northern myotis and western small-footed bat.

Bats depend on access to open water for drinking and are typically found within two kilometres of rivers, ponds, and wetlands. In urban areas, they often roost in trees, buildings, and under bridges.

Sadly, two species in Alberta—the little brown bat and the northern myotis—are currently listed as endangered. Several others are of conservation concern. Learn how you can help. 

Bats are often portrayed in popular culture as frightening, but we like to say that while bats may be hairy, they’re not actually scary!

A few fun facts about bats:

• Bats are social and intelligent mammals with complex behaviours. They live in groups called maternity colonies and form long-term social bonds.
• Mothers invest significant time in raising their young, nursing and protecting them for months. Colonies often cluster together to stay warm, and individuals communicate using vocalizations. Some species even have distinct “dialects” within their colonies.
• Bats also have strong memories and can learn and remember complex routes. Despite their small size, they are long-lived animals, with some individuals living for decades.
• Bats are not rodents but belong to their own group of mammals called Chiroptera, meaning “hand wing.” They are the only mammals capable of true flight.
• Bats are not blind: In addition to having functional eyesight, they use echolocation to navigate and hunt in the dark. By emitting high-frequency sounds and listening for returning echoes, they can locate insects with great precision. As they close in on prey, their calls become more rapid in what is known as a “feeding buzz.”
• In Alberta, bats reproduce slowly: Most species have only one pup each year, which makes population recovery more difficult.

Bat populations in Alberta are facing several challenges.

Habitat loss is a major concern. As urban development expands, natural roosting sites such as old trees and undisturbed river valleys are reduced. As a result, bats increasingly rely on human-made structures.

White-nose syndrome is another serious threat. This fungal disease affects hibernating bats and disrupts their natural cycles, causing them to use up critical energy reserves before spring.

Additional pressures include declining insect populations, climate change, and impacts from wind turbines.