What kinds of bats live in Gibraltar, and where can I watch them without disturbing them?

Question

Accepted Answer

Gibraltar has around eight recorded bat species, including Schreiber’s bat, which visits seasonally, and the European free-tailed bat. The best way to see them is at dusk in open areas such as the Botanic Gardens, or at the International Bat Night events run by GONHS, rather than by visiting roosts.
Gibraltar’s bats have declined sharply since the 1960s, and several species have disappeared from the Rock. The Gib-Bats project, run by the Gibraltar National Museum with the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society (GONHS) and the Department of the Environment, has increased the official species list from three to around eight, including Europe’s smallest and largest bats.
Species recorded include Schreiber’s bat, which once lived on the Rock in large numbers and now uses Gibraltar seasonally before moving into Spain and even Portugal; the European free-tailed bat; the greater noctule; the Isabelline serotine, first recorded in the Botanic Gardens; and a single greater horseshoe bat found in a cave.
Bat populations in Gibraltar are considered critically endangered at a local level, and bats are protected. Do not enter caves, tunnels or buildings where bats roost, and never handle a bat.
The best way to see them is to watch at dusk on warm evenings in open green spaces such as the Botanic Gardens, where bats hunt insects. GONHS also hosts International Bat Night, where Gib-Bats specialists show bats caught under licence and let visitors hear their calls through bat detectors.

What kinds of bats live in Gibraltar, and where can I watch them without disturbing them?

Short answer

Detailed answer

Species recorded

Watching without disturbing