Soprano Pipistrelle
The soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) is one of Britain’s smallest and commonest bats.
On the islands
Soprano pipistrelles hunt over water and woodland edges on many islands.
When to see
From April to October at dusk.
Did you know?
It was only recognised as a separate species from the common pipistrelle in the 1990s, by the higher pitch of its echolocation calls.
Where to see it on the islands
On Search Isle, the soprano pipistrelle is recorded on 25 islands. They are spread across Scotland (14), England (5), Wales (4) and Crown Dependencies (2).
The most records come from Arran (Firth of Clyde, 3,873 records), Isle of Man (Isle of Man, 965 records), Great Cumbrae (Firth of Clyde, 716 records) and Anglesey (North Coast, 305 records). These counts reflect where people have looked as well as where the animal lives: busy islands, and those with bird observatories, have far more records than remote ones.
Through the year
The soprano pipistrelle is usually seen from May to September. You can listen to a recording of it beside this page.
Other bats
The soprano pipistrelle is one of 9 bats on Search Isle, alongside Brown Long-eared Bat, Common Pipistrelle, Daubenton’s Bat, Greater Horseshoe Bat, Leisler’s Bat, Nathusius’ Pipistrelle, Natterer’s Bat and Noctule.
