11 Types of Bats in Nebraska: A Guide to the State’s Native Species
October 16, 2026
Nebraska might not come to mind as a bat hotspot, but the state hosts more winged diversity after dark than most residents realize. Researchers recognize thirteen species of bats in Nebraska, broadly split between cave-dwelling bats that hibernate underground and tree-roosting bats that migrate south for winter, according to University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. Nine of those thirteen species are listed as at-risk in the state’s wildlife action plan, largely due to white-nose syndrome, habitat loss, and wind-turbine strikes.
This guide covers the 11 types of bats in Nebraska most frequently documented by wildlife biologists and acoustic monitoring surveys, from the hardy big brown bat that tolerates Nebraska winters to the elusive fringed myotis found only in the Panhandle’s Pine Ridge region. Each entry below breaks down identifying features, preferred habitat, and conservation status. Readers curious about different types of bats across North America will find useful context for comparing Nebraska’s residents to species found elsewhere.
1. Big Brown Bat
The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is the species most Nebraskans are likely to encounter, whether roosting in an attic or swooping through a porch light at dusk. It has a medium-sized, sturdy build with brown fur ranging from dark brown to reddish-brown, a wingspan reaching up to 13 inches, and large, hairless ears with a distinct tragus that aids in echolocation.
This bat is the most widespread and commonly encountered species statewide, often living in colonies and tolerating colder temperatures than other Nebraska bats, which lets it hibernate locally in structures like buildings rather than migrating south. It’s one of four species — alongside the eastern red bat, hoary bat, and silver-haired bat — found most commonly across the entire state, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Big brown bats eat mostly beetles, along with wasps, ants, plant hoppers, and leafhoppers, with June bugs, green stinkbugs, and cucumber beetles among their favorites. That appetite directly benefits agriculture, since a single colony can consume enormous numbers of crop-damaging pests each summer. Populations of this adaptable species also thrive far outside Nebraska, including big brown bats in Texas, where the species shows the same tolerance for human structures.
Pro Tip: A properly placed bat box can attract a colony of big brown bats to a property, giving natural, pesticide-free pest control for farms and gardens alike.
2. Little Brown Bat
The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) is slightly smaller than its big brown cousin, but it tells a far more worrying story about Nebraska’s bat populations. Although still a common species, its numbers have faced severe declines due to disease, and reproductive females form maternity colonies in human-made structures that can number in the thousands, especially in areas like the Pine Ridge region where natural tree roosts are limited.
Nebraska’s State Wildlife Action Plan, the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project, lists the little brown bat as a Tier I species — the designation reserved for the state’s most at-risk animals and a critical priority for conservation. Biologists recently confirmed a live little brown bat flying into a research mist net at Platte River State Park, marking the first such sighting in eastern Nebraska since 2016.
Along with the northern long-eared bat and tricolored bat, the little brown bat is one of three Nebraska species especially vulnerable to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that has devastated hibernating bat colonies across North America. Enthusiasts comparing regional populations can also look at little brown bats in New York, where the species faces similar disease pressure.
3. Hoary Bat
The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is Nebraska’s largest bat species. It belongs to a group of migratory tree-roosting bats that also includes the eastern red bat and silver-haired bat, and its wingspan can reach up to 16 inches.
Hoary bats in Nebraska typically roost alone in the open foliage of trees within woodland forests, and while they occasionally form loose groups while migrating south in late summer, they generally avoid roosting near other bats. They prefer hunting over wide-open areas or lakes, feed mainly on moths, and can travel up to 24 miles in a single night while foraging.
Because hoary bats roost in foliage rather than caves or buildings, they rarely come into direct contact with people, making sightings a treat for anyone watching the sky at dusk along a wooded river valley. Readers interested in how this far-ranging species behaves elsewhere can compare it with hoary bats in California, another state where the species turns up during migration.
4. Eastern Red Bat
The eastern red bat (Lasiurus borealis) is one of the four species most frequently detected across the state, alongside the big brown bat, hoary bat, and silver-haired bat. Globally, the species is considered secure, and it uses a wide range of habitats, including human-made structures, while also readily roosting among tree foliage.
Eastern red bats are solitary, cold-tolerant fliers that sometimes stay active on warmer winter nights when other hibernating species remain tucked away. Because they migrate south in the fall rather than hibernating in the state’s caves and mines, they avoid much of the white-nose syndrome exposure that threatens cave-dwelling species.
That migratory strategy mirrors populations of red bats in South Carolina, where the species also shows up seasonally along wooded corridors. According to ScienceInsights, these “forest bats” often follow river valleys like the Missouri and Niobrara as travel corridors during migration.
5. Silver-Haired Bat
The silver-haired bat (Lasionycteris noctivagans) is easy to pick out once you know what to look for. It is a medium-sized bat with a flattened head and a thick coat of fur covering the upper part of its tail, and its fur is mostly black with distinctive white-tipped hairs across a wingspan of roughly 11.5 inches.
Compared with other bats in Nebraska, silver-haired bats fly noticeably slower, and they typically roost in forests inside tree cavities or beneath loose bark, though they have also been known to shelter in outbuildings. This slower flight style suits an insectivore that often forages closer to the forest canopy rather than chasing prey across open sky.
Because they favor wooded river corridors, silver-haired bats share range overlap with several other tree-roosting species documented along the Niobrara and Missouri river valleys. For comparison, silver-haired bats in North Dakota show similar habitat preferences just across Nebraska’s northern border.
6. Tricolored Bat
The tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) is the smallest bat species recorded in Nebraska. While the hoary bat is the state’s largest, the tricolored bat has a wingspan of around 9 inches, making it the smallest species documented in the state.
The tricolored bat is one of three Nebraska species especially vulnerable to white-nose syndrome, and efforts are underway to have it formally classified as endangered. Listing efforts for both the tricolored bat and little brown bat are ongoing, driven by steep population declines tied to the disease.
As a cave-hibernating species, the tricolored bat is directly exposed to the fungus that causes white-nose syndrome every winter, making Nebraska’s remaining hibernacula critical to its survival in the region. Its situation closely resembles that of tricolored bats in Alabama, where the same disease has driven similar losses.
Important Note: White-nose syndrome has killed millions of hibernating bats across North America since it was first detected. Nebraska wildlife agencies continue monitoring the state’s caves and mines for its spread, so report any unusual bat die-offs rather than handling affected animals.
7. Western Small-Footed Myotis
The western small-footed myotis is among the least frequently encountered bats in Nebraska, limited mostly to the rugged terrain of the Panhandle. It is one of six bat species recorded along the Niobrara National Scenic River Valley, alongside the silver-haired bat, eastern red bat, hoary bat, tricolored bat, and big brown bat.
As its name suggests, this small myotis has noticeably tiny feet relative to its body, a trait that helps separate it from Nebraska’s other myotis species on close inspection. It favors rocky outcrops, cliff crevices, and canyon terrain, roosting in small groups rather than the large colonies typical of little brown bats.
Because its range in the state is so narrow, sightings of the western small-footed myotis are largely confined to western Nebraska’s canyon country. Travelers curious about related myotis species elsewhere can look at small-footed myotis populations in New Mexico, where the species is more widespread.
8. Northern Long-Eared Bat
The northern long-eared bat (Myotis septentrionalis) carries the most serious conservation status of any bat in Nebraska. It was officially declared endangered on the national threatened and endangered species list after being uplisted from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act in March 2021, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
White-nose syndrome is the primary driver of that decline, and some infected hibernating populations have experienced mortality rates approaching 95 percent. Like every bat species found in Nebraska, the northern long-eared bat is strictly insectivorous, feeding exclusively on insects.
Unlike open-sky foragers, this species hunts and roosts within the dense interior of forests rather than along edges or open fields, which makes acoustic detection harder for researchers. Recent statewide monitoring data has shown some of the fewest northern long-eared bat calls recorded since surveys began, a trend biologists continue to watch closely. Anyone comparing regional populations can also review bat species documented in Indiana, another state tracking this bat’s range-wide decline.
9. Fringed Myotis
The fringed myotis holds the distinction of being Nebraska’s highest-priority bat for conservation planning. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project lists seven bat species as Tier I or Tier II at-risk species, and the fringed myotis is specifically identified as Tier I in the state’s Bat Assessment Guidance for Wind Energy Facilities, the plan’s most urgent conservation category.
This subspecies gets its name from a small fringe of hairs along the edge of its tail membrane, a feature visible on close inspection that separates it from Nebraska’s other myotis bats. Its range in the state is narrow, generally limited to the rugged Pine Ridge escarpment in the northwestern Panhandle, where it roosts in rock crevices and old mine workings.
Because so little population data exists for the fringed myotis compared with more common species, researchers consider it a priority for additional acoustic and capture surveys across western Nebraska.
Pro Tip: If you spot an unfamiliar bat roosting in a rock crevice while hiking the Pine Ridge, note the location and time rather than disturbing it. Citizen reports help Nebraska Game and Parks track rare species like the fringed myotis.
10. Brazilian Free-Tailed Bat
The Brazilian free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), also called the Mexican free-tailed bat, is the only member of the free-tailed bat family documented in Nebraska. It represents the Molossidae family within the state’s bat fauna, distinct from the vesper bats that make up the rest of Nebraska’s species.
This species is famous elsewhere for forming some of the largest bat colonies on the continent, but in Nebraska it appears only occasionally, generally during warm-season dispersal from more established colonies to the south. Its tail extends noticeably beyond the edge of its tail membrane, a trait that gives the species its common name and helps distinguish it from every other bat on this list.
Because confirmed Nebraska records are sparse, most information on the species’ local habits is inferred from populations studied where it is far more common. Free-tailed bats in Costa Rica and the massive colonies found across Texas offer a clearer picture of how the species behaves where it thrives.
11. Evening Bat
The evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis) sits at the edge of its range in Nebraska, and its presence here is more inferred than confirmed. Researchers consider it highly likely that the evening bat occurs in the Niobrara National Scenic River Valley alongside the northern long-eared bat, even though no recorded sightings have been documented there so far.
This small vesper bat is more common across the southeastern United States, where it roosts in tree cavities, under loose bark, and occasionally in buildings. In Nebraska, its range sits at the extreme northwestern edge of where the species is expected to occur, making confirmed captures or acoustic detections genuinely newsworthy for state biologists.
Because it resembles the little brown bat and big brown bat in flight, the evening bat is easy to overlook without a clear visual or acoustic ID. Readers wanting a deeper look at this species’ biology and range can visit the dedicated page on evening bats for more identification detail.
Quick Comparison of Nebraska’s Bats
Size, roost type, and conservation status vary considerably among Nebraska’s bat species. The table below summarizes the key traits covered above for quick reference.
| Bat | Wingspan | Typical Roost | Conservation Concern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Brown Bat | Up to 13 inches | Buildings, cliffs, trees | Secure, common statewide |
| Little Brown Bat | Small (cave bat) | Caves, mines, structures | Tier I at-risk, WNS-vulnerable |
| Hoary Bat | Up to 16 inches (largest) | Tree foliage | Secure, migratory |
| Eastern Red Bat | Medium | Deciduous forests | Secure, migratory |
| Silver-haired Bat | About 11.5 inches | Tree cavities, bark | Secure, migratory |
| Tricolored Bat | About 9 inches (smallest) | Caves, tree hollows | WNS-vulnerable, declining |
| Western Small-footed Myotis | Small | Rock crevices, cliffs | Uncommon, limited range |
| Northern Long-eared Bat | Small-medium | Forest interior | Federally endangered |
| Fringed Myotis | Small-medium | Pine Ridge rock crevices | Tier I, highest priority |
| Brazilian Free-tailed Bat | Medium | Caves, bridges | Rare in state, occasional |
| Evening Bat | Small | Tree cavities, buildings | Likely present, unconfirmed |
From the familiar big brown bat roosting in a barn to the rarely documented fringed myotis tucked into a Pine Ridge rock crevice, Nebraska’s bats fill a surprisingly varied set of ecological roles across the state. Beyond serving as a Halloween symbol, bats are crucial to a healthy ecosystem and save U.S. farmers at least $3 billion annually in pest-control services by consuming insects that would otherwise damage crops, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
That economic and ecological value is exactly why nine of Nebraska’s thirteen bat species appear on the state’s at-risk list, and why wildlife biologists continue running acoustic surveys from the Missouri River valley to the Panhandle’s canyon country. Anyone hoping to support these populations can start small: leave dead trees standing where it’s safe to do so, install a bat box, and report unusual roosts to Nebraska Game and Parks rather than disturbing them.
Bats share the Nebraska night sky with plenty of other wildlife worth watching, and readers curious about what else soars overhead after dusk might also enjoy learning about the state’s hawks found in Nebraska.