Nyctalus noctula (Schreber, 1774)

Godlevska, L., Rebrov, S., Vorobei, P., Savchenko, M. & Panchenko, P., 2022, Bats Of Central Ukraine: A Synopsis, Zoodiversity 56 (3), pp. 203-232 : 216

Nyctalus noctula (Schreber, 1774)

The species is common and widespread in the region ( fig. 15). We recorded it in the majority of study localities.

The breeding zone includes all the territory of the study region. In total, the breeding was marked in all three subregions, in 51 study localities (we’ve found in 43). Known earlier and recently found summer roosts were almost exceptionally in hollow trees (tens of roosts). Maternity colonies were found only in hollow trees. Known records in buildings during summer are not numerous and concern the migration season; thus, such roosts are, obviously, transit. E. g. we recorded a colony of common noctules, in which all four sex-age groups were presented (MMad, MMjuv, FFad, FFjuv) in an abandoned concrete hangar in Cherkasy Region in late August, 2018 (Annex).

At present, Central Ukraine is entirely within the species winter range due to its recent expansion northward ( Godlevska, 2015 a). The first winter records of the species in the region came from Kyiv in the early 2000s. Since then, it is regularly found there in winter. All known records in winter refer to the territory of settlements, and all localised by us winter roosts were in buildings, mostly multi-storey. Identified roosts were: different structural cavities, ventilation channels, cavities inside balconies’ facing, etc. The number of individuals in one winter colony is estimated to reach a few thousand ( Godlevska, 2015 a; L. Godlevska, comm.). Recently, Bilushenko (2015) reported his observation of N. noctula colonies in hollow trees in winter in Cherkasy and Kyiv.