FORAGING BEHAVIOR AND HABITAT USE OF THE SEROTINE BAT (EPTESICUS-SEROTINUS) IN SOUTHERN ENGLAND

Radio-tracking was used to determine the foraging behaviour and habita t use of the serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus, at two roosts in south ern England. The bars commuted an average of 6.5 km to and from distin ct foraging sites and used up to five sites per night. Serotines forag ed in a wide range of habitats and were able to locate and exploit tem porary feeding sites such as recently mown grass. They foraged regular ly around white streetlamps and in late summer over cattle pasture on which fresh dung was present. Reproductively active females were stron gly philopatric to their day-roost. In contrast, reproductively inacti ve females, from the same roosts, moved to new day-roosts up to 10 km from the site of capture. Serotines used three distinct foraging strat egies: short flights, ground feeding, and, predominantly, aerial hawki ng. Foraging bouts were interspersed with resting phases, with individ uals roosting alone on walls of houses or in trees close to foraging s ites. It is concluded that serotines are well adapted to an anthropoge nic environment. They are strongly philopatric to roosts in human habi tations, in close proximity to a range of feeding sites where they can take advantage of favourable land management practices.