Distribution and status of bats in Europe

National and international agencies, societies and individuals are increasingly seeking information on the current distribution and status of bats in Europe. The stimulus to produce this report came in 1980 when the Environment and Consumer Protection Service of the Commission of the European Communities (EEC) requested information on the threatened flora and vertebrate fauna within the EEC. This was needed so that there could be a co-ordinated approach to the conservation of these biota. The EEC had become aware of its commitment to international conservation in 1979 when the Bern Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats was published and presented by the Council of Europe to its 21 Member States for signing and ratification. Despite one third of the indigenous terrestrial mammal species in Europe being bats, little is known of their detailed distribution and numbers. However, accumulation of knowledge has gathered momentum and, although much has been published, it is widely scattered, often in obscure journals. Brink in the early 1950s (1967) was one of the first to attempt a compilation of distribution maps for the European bats and these have been reproduced many times. However, present knowledge is much improved and new maps are needed. This report is an attempt to summarize the present status of bats in 27 countries in western Europe and provides sources where more detailed information can be found. I hope it will also stimulate more systematic recording and detailed ecological research, which are necessary to establish conservation requirements for each species. Many bats move between summer and winter roosts and these may be separated by large distances. A few species have significant populations in EEC countries in winter (eg Vespertilio murinus) but in summer these bats form nursery colonies in north-east Europe, particularly in Poland and the USSR. Thus, it is vital to consider the range and migrations of a species when preparing conservation strategies (Strelkov 1969; Roer 1971