Europe's Largest Bat Species, the Greater Noctule, Caught in Czechia for the First Time

At Červenohorské sedlo in the Jeseníky Mountains, zoologists have caught a live greater noctule bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus) in Czechia for the first time in the country's history. This is Europe's largest bat species. Until now, its presence in Czechia had only been confirmed through ultrasonic recordings of echolocation calls, and no one had managed to physically catch one for many years.

According to the Czech Zoological Society, this marks an important milestone in the study of the country's bat fauna. The rare animal was captured by a team led by zoologist Radek Lučan from the Faculty of Science at Charles University, who was working on-site with students and colleagues.

Why This Particular Location

The capture at Červenohorské sedlo was no coincidence. The area is considered one of the key spots for tracking animal migration: the mountain pass forms a natural corridor through the main ridge, used by both birds and bats, especially during autumn migration. Researchers monitor wildlife there using both capture nets and ultrasonic recordings.

A Rare Visitor from Southern Europe

The greater noctule is an uncommon species in Central Europe, more typically found on the Iberian Peninsula, in the Balkans, and on Sicily. However, some scientific models suggest that climate warming may gradually shift the species' range northeastward, meaning Czech researchers could encounter it more frequently in the future.

Adults have a wingspan of roughly 45 centimetres, making it the largest bat species in Europe. Besides Europe, the greater noctule is also found in Western Asia and North Africa, where it favours old forests with hollow trees.

Hunting Birds in Mid-Flight

The species is also remarkable for how it feeds. According to a study published last year in the journal Science, researchers obtained the first direct evidence that greater noctules can catch small birds in the air and consume their prey without landing.

The observations were made using miniature sensors attached to the bats' bodies. During one recorded attack, the bat climbed to an altitude of more than a kilometre while pursuing a European robin. The device recorded the victim's distress calls, followed by roughly 23 minutes of sounds indicating the predator was eating its prey mid-flight.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz