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Hoary Bat | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Hoary Bat

Lasiurus cinereus

MammaliaRoosts alone in foliage of trees rather than in caves; forages over forest openings, water and open countryLeast Concern

Field profile

The hoary bat is a large, solitary, tree-roosting bat named for the white-frosted tips of its dark fur. It migrates long distances between summer and winter ranges and roosts wrapped in its furred tail membrane among leaves. It is the bat species most frequently killed at wind energy facilities in North America.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-05-29

Hoary Bat

Wind turbines kill more hoary bats than any species

Migratory tree bats die at wind facilities in numbers that outstrip resident cave species by a wide margin. The reason is not that turbines are hard to detect: evidence suggests the bats are attracted to the tall structures rather than blundering into them.

Read with evidence →