NEW Research Project: Large Bent-Wing Bat
In September 2025 Mid Macquarie Landcare embarked on a new research project with the Bats in Backyards team to investigate the migration patterns of the Large Bent-Wing Bat.
INTRODUCING: Miniopterus orianae, the Large Bent-Wing Bat.
Listed as a Vulnerable species in NSW, these little dudes spend winter on the east coast and migrate into the Wellington region to breed over spring and summer.
Knowing more about when they arrive and leave from our region will assist the Saving our Species team to target recovery strategies for this threatened species which spends such an important part of their lives in our region!
What do they look like? The Large Bent-Wing Bat has:
- chocolate to reddish-brown fur on its back and slightly lighter coloured fur on its belly.
- a short snout and a high 'domed' head with short round ears.
- wings that attach to the ankle, not to the base of the toe.
- a third 'wing' finger that is longer than its other fingers giving it a "bent wing" appearance.
- a head and body length of about 6cm and maxes out at a weight of 20g.
Fun Facts about Miniopterus orianae:
- They like caves to roost in, but will also use derelict mines, storm-water tunnels, buildings and other man-made structures.
- Their breeding or roosting colonies can number from 100 to 150,000 individuals centred on a maternity cave that is used in spring and summer. Females gather together in October and give birth to a single young in December.
- Large Bent-Wings hunt in forested areas, catching moths and other flying insects above the tree tops but in grasslands they stick to within a few metres above the ground.
- Individual bats have been known to travel up to 65km in one night.
- They are listed as Vulnerable Species in NSW. The type of things that are threatening their population are:
- disturbance from cavers particularly during winter or breeding.
- Loss of high productivity habitat to forage for food.
- Predation by cats.
- Introduction of exotic pathogens, particularly white-nose fungus.
- Hazard reduction and wildfire fires close to caves during the breeding season.
What are we doing?
In September 2025 we started recording at strategic locations around Wellington where we've identified Large Bent-Wing Bats before.
Monitoring will be ongoing from September through to March to try and capture when the first Bent-Wings arrive and when they hit the road back to their winter roosts.
What can you do to help?
Sign up to be a citizen scientist!
The Bats in Backyards crew would love as many people as possible in the Wellington region to sign up for their program which opens in October 2025. LINK FOR MORE INFO
