If you want to attract bats to your home, bat houses are the way to go, but you must choose wisely!
There are over 40 different species of bats in Canada, each with unique needs.
Read on to learn about the 17 most common types of bats in Canada and which bat house will be best for your new winged friend.
1. Big Brown Bat
The Big Brown Bat is one of Canada’s most common types of bats. These nocturnal creatures are found in rural and urban areas and often roost in trees or under the eaves of houses. Big Brown Bats have a wingspan of up to 35 cm and can live for up to 20 years.
Although not considered endangered, their populations have declined due to habitat loss and human disturbance.
If you’re lucky enough to spot a Big Brown Bat, you can help protect them by keeping your distance and not disturbing their roosting sites.
2. Hoary Bat
The hoary bat is the most significant type of bat in Canada. It has a wingspan of up to 35 inches and can weigh up to two ounces. The hoary bat is found in forests and woodlands across the country and feeds on insects, fruits, and nectar.
The hoary bat’s roosting habits include trees, caves, and buildings. In addition to being the most significant type of bat in Canada, it is also one of the most common.
3. Silver-haired Bat
The silver-haired bat is a small, delicate creature with big ears and furry black wings types of bats in Canada. It’s found in wooded areas across North America, and sometimes, it roosts in people’s houses. These bats are nocturnal, so they’re most active at night.
If you see one during the day, it’s probably because it’s sick or injured. Keep an eye on it to ensure it doesn’t fly into anything! The silver-haired bat has a couple of distinguishing features.
The first is its beautiful fur, which ranges from dark gray to brown with pale gray and white tips. This helps it blend into its surroundings, making it harder for predators to spot. The second is its small, delicate wings that look like a butterfly—or even a hummingbird!
4. Little Brown Bat
The little brown bat is one of Canada’s most common types of bats. They are small, with a wingspan of only about 9 cm. As their name suggests, they are brown.
Little brown bats live in various habitats, including forests, caves, and urban areas. They eat insects and use echolocation to navigate and find their prey.
Little brown bats are essential for controlling insect populations and can live up to 20 years in the wild. Females give birth to 1-2 pups annually, usually in June-August.
5. Eastern Red Bat
The Eastern Red Bat is one of Canada’s most common types of bat. These types of bats in Canada are small to medium-sized with reddish-brown fur and black wing tips. They live in trees and can be found alone or in small groups.
Eastern Red Bats are insectivores and eat a variety of insects, including moths, beetles, and flies. They are an essential part of the ecosystem as they help control insect populations, and in turn, this helps reduce pests on crops and forests.
Eastern Red Bats have been known to carry rabies, but it’s not usually fatal if contracted from these animals. They prefer the summer months but will hibernate during winter. When they’re active during summer, they migrate southward when temperatures get colder.
6. California Myotis
The California myotis is a small bat with glossy brown fur. It has a wingspan of 8-10 inches and weighs only 0.5 ounces! This bat is found along the Pacific coast of North America, from British Columbia to northern Mexico. It roosts in trees, caves, and buildings and eats insects.
Interestingly, it’s one of the most common types of bats in Canada to carry rabies. They’re also good at catching fish and are known as flying mice because they use their teeth to catch prey. The females give birth during June or July and usually have one pup yearly.
7. Spotted Bat
The Spotted Bat is a small bat with black fur and white spots. It is found in the western United States and Mexico. This bat feeds on moths and other insects.
It roosts in trees, caves, and buildings. The Spotted Bat has a wingspan of 8 to 10 inches and weighs about 0.5 ounces. These bats are pregnant or have just given birth from May through July.
They produce one pup per year, which remains with the mother for at least six months. The average lifespan of this species is five years; however, they may live up to 20 years if they survive hibernation during winter. Maternity colonies usually contain between 100 and 400 females each summer.
8. Pallid Bat
The Pallid Bat is one of Canada’s most common types of bats. They are small to medium-sized bats with brown or gray fur. Pallid Bats live in various habitats, including forests, caves, and urban areas.
These bats are insectivores, eating primarily moths and beetles. Pallid Bats are essential for controlling insect populations and can even help reduce the spread of diseases like the West Nile Virus.
As insectivores, they are essential for pollination and decomposition of plant matter. Though many species of bats have been disappearing due to habitat loss and climate change, these gentle creatures continue to thrive in many parts of Canada.
9. Fringed Myotis
The Fringed Myotis is one of Canada’s most common types of bats. They are small to medium-sized bats with a 20-25 cm wingspan. The fur on their back is dark brown or black, while the skin on their belly is lighter.
Their name comes from the fringe of long hairs that extend from the edges of their hind legs. These types of bats in Canada live in various habitats, including forests, meadows, and urban areas.
They eat insects such as mosquitoes, moths, and flies. As they flap their wing membranes up and down, they produce a distinctive sound that can be heard at night during warm weather.
10. Long-eared Myotis
The long-eared myotis is a small bat with reddish-brown fur and black wings. It is found in wooded areas across Canada. This bat can live up to 20 years and has a wingspan of up to 35 cm. It feeds on insects, such as moths and beetles.
The long-eared myotis is a good choice for those looking for a small, long-lived bat. They eat insects primarily, but also spiders and occasional frogs. They are found all over Canada but are absent from Newfoundland.
11. Long-legged Bat
The long-legged bat is a species of vesper bat found in North America. It is one of Canada’s most significant types of bats, with a wingspan of up to 1.5 meters (4.9 ft). The long-legged bat is a brown or reddish-brown color with lighter underparts.
It has large eyes and long, narrow ears. The long-legged bat feeds on insects, small mammals, and reptiles; it roosts in trees, caves, and buildings. Pups are born during July or August, and females have only one dog per year.
In some cases, females will kidnap another female’s pup as they give birth to their own, leaving the mother without a pup at all. When hunting for food, these bats may travel 12 km from their roost site and fly as fast as 55 km/h (34 mph).
12. Tricolored Bat
The Tricolored Bat is a small to medium-sized bat found throughout most of the eastern United States. As its name suggests, this bat has three colors on its fur: black, brown, and white. The Tricolored Bat is a cave-dwelling bat that roosts in trees during the day.
This bat feeds on insects, such as moths and beetles. When it is provided, it will locate its prey by using echolocation. It will emit sounds from one side of its mouth while turning its head towards the sound they are hearing.
Once they have located their prey with echolocation, they will catch it with their tongue or grab it with their forearms (called zygodactyl feet). They eat bugs primarily but sometimes feed on tiny frogs or lizards if the opportunity arises.
13. Northern Long-eared Bat
The northern long-eared bat is a medium-sized bat with a small, brown body and long, thin ears. It is found in wooded areas across Canada and the United States. These types of bats in Canada are an essential part of the ecosystem because they eat a lot of insects.
The northern long-eared bat is endangered because of white-nose syndrome, a disease that affects bats. The northern long-eared bat is a good choice if you want a bat to adopt!
They eat lots of bugs and help keep insect populations down. They can be found in North America, but their population has decreased due to white-nose syndrome.
14. Mountain Long-eared Bat
The mountain long-eared bat is a small bat with a 9 to 11 cm wingspan. It is brown or reddish brown with darker brown wings.
This bat is found in the mountains of western North America, from British Columbia to Arizona. It roosts in trees and caves during the day and feeds on moths and insects at night.
15. Eastern Small-footed Bat
The Eastern small-footed bat is one of the smallest bat species in North America, with an average wingspan of only 8 to 10 inches. These bats are found roosting in trees, often in groups of up to 100 individuals. They are brown or black, with white on their undersides.
Their diet consists mainly of insects, which they capture by flying low over the ground. Eastern small-footed bats are found throughout eastern and central Canada. If you live in these areas, consider building a home for these mammals.
16. Townsend’s Big-eared Bat
Townsend’s big-eared bat is a small bat with a 9 to 11-cm wingspan. It is found in the western United States and Mexico. This bat feeds on insects, including moths, flies, and beetles.
It roosts in trees, caves, and buildings. As its name suggests, these types of bats in Canada have large ears five times larger than other bats. They are also said to have some of the best hearing abilities out of all bats.
These bats use echolocation to find prey and can catch up to 75% of their weight in one night. The Townsend’s Big-Eared Bat is usually dark brown or black but can also range from yellowish to rusty brown. It has light-colored fur around its face and throat area, with lighter skin near the base of its tail.
17. Western Small-footed Myotis
The Western small-footed myotis is a small bat with big ears. It’s found in the western United States and Canada, where it roosts in trees and caves.
This bat can live up to 20 years old and is an integral part of the ecosystem, eating insects that can damage crops. The Western small-footed myotis might be the right boat if you want a unique pet!