Living with flying foxes

Flying-foxes play an important role in maintaining Australian native forest ecosystems. As Australia’s only known long distance pollinator, flying-foxes are critical for the continued existence of many Australian eucalypt species that can only be pollinated at night.    

Research has shown that flying-foxes move all across the east coast of Australia stopping off at different roost sites every day while they search for food and mates. Flying-foxes are highly nomadic and generally travel between 1,400 and 6,000 kilometres a year, however one tracked grey headed flying-fox travelled over 12,000 kilometres in one year, moving between Melbourne and central Queensland. In moving these distances, they are constantly pollinating trees and improving the health of our forests. 

There are flying-foxes in trees nearby our house at night. Does this mean there is a roost establishing near my home?  

Flying-foxes are nocturnal animals that fly out from their roost sites at sunset and move around the region at night searching for food. They return to a central roost just before sunrise and rest there throughout the day. So if you see or hear flying-foxes in trees near your home at night, it's more than likely they’re only there temporarily to feed.  

No. Overall flying-fox numbers have declined in the last century due to widespread clearing of native foraging and roosting habitat for agriculture and urban development, and culling practices across their range. These losses have accumulated to approximately two-thirds of southeast Queensland’s native vegetation, with an almost 90% reduction of Melaleuca quinquenervia (broad-leaf paperbark) forests, which are the primary source of winter food for nectar-feeding flying-foxes.  

Flying-foxes are highly nomadic species that move thousands of kilometres across Australia in search of food. Localised events such as bushfires, droughts, food shortage or food abundance will greatly influence flying-fox numbers and may lead to short-term influxes at suitable locations. This does not mean that they will remain in those numbers long-term at that site.  

The widescale reduction in native forests across Australia has forced flying-foxes to find other habitats, including patches of bushland in urban areas. Flying-foxes have highly complex social structures and communicate knowledge of feeding and roosting sites across groups and even generations. Therefore, their choice of urban roosting sites may be linked to historic connections with the site prior to development and is also influenced by available water and food within the urban landscape and backyard plantings.   

This has led to increased contact and conflict with humans. Where large roosts occur close to residential areas, the potential for conflict increases as the noise and odour associated with their daily interactions may disrupt the lifestyle of nearby residents.  

Council routinely monitors urban roost sites, the results are shown on the interactive BatMap.  

Flying-foxes have co-evolved with the Australian landscape for over 23 million years. Due to their ability to move large distances, historically they moved between regions to allow resources to replenish.   

Their distribution overlaps with ours, because like us, they have always liked living along the east coast of Australia.     

Although flying-foxes may not have used an area for months or even years, they may return to sites to roost again in the future. So, many sites that appear new, may have been previously occupied by flying-foxes.       

Yes, our regional flying-fox management plan is available to read here. The plan is approved by the state government as a regional flying-fox management plan, and the Australian Government as a conservation agreement for grey headed flying-fox.  

Help injured bats by avoiding contact and calling trained and vaccinated wildlife rescue professionals on 1300 ANIMAL (1300 264 625).