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Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Pipistrellus pygmaeus

(Leach, 1825)

UICN #ESNRL012050 Evaluado 2026
Pipistrel·la nana Soprano Pipistrelle Murciélago de Cabrera Pipistrelo mediterráneo Morcego anano Morcego-pigmeu (Portuguese) Pipistrelle pygmée (French)
Sin.: Pipistrellus pipistrellus mediterraneus
LC

Preocupación Menor

Desconocido
EX
Extinta
EW
Extinta en Estado Silvestre
RE
Extinta a Nivel Regional
CR
En Peligro Crítico
EN
En Peligro
VU
Vulnerable
NT
Casi Amenazada
LC
Preocupación Menor
DD
Datos Insuficientes
NA
No Aplicable
NE
No Evaluada

Distribución

Justificación

Pipistrellus pygmaeus is evaluated as Least Concern (LC) because it does not cross any of the critical quantitative thresholds defined under the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. The estimated overall population size vastly exceeds the 10,000 mature individual limit required for threatened status under criterion C. Both the Extent of Occurrence (EOO) and the Area of Occupancy (AOO) are significantly greater than the maximum thresholds defined across criteria B, C, and D. Furthermore, the current lack of historical, standardized, and robust long-term population time series prevents any formal evaluation of historical population reductions under criterion A. Its high regional abundance, ecologically generalist behavior, and widespread capacity to utilize a diverse array of habitats and high altitudinal ranges further confirm the stable status of its contemporary populations.

Distribución

Pipistrellus pygmaeus displays a western Palearctic geographic distribution, widespread across central and southern Europe, ranging from southern Spain northward to Denmark, southern Sweden, and southern Norway. Its insular populations occupy Corsica, Sardinia, and Sicily, alongside the British Isles. The easternmost periphery of its geographic range extends into Ukraine, Cyprus, western Russia, and the wider Caucasus region (Russo and Cistrone 2023). Within the target focal area, it represents an abundant and widely distributed bat species across the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands, while remaining strictly absent from the Canary Islands archipelago. Standardized presence records have also confirmed its occurrence within the North African autonomous cities of Ceuta and Melilla (Jones and Froidevaux 2023, López-Baucells et al. 2012). Across low-altitude coastal zones, its relative local abundance often exceeds that of its cryptic congener Pipistrellus pipistrellus, establishing extensive areas of sympatric range overlap. The comprehensive Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is computed at 690,144 km², and the minimum Area of Occupancy (AOO) is established at 5,520 km², calculated via 2x2 km grids intercepting 3,377 validated geographic occurrence points. The species exhibits a broad altitudinal distribution, extending from sea level up to 2,268 m above sea level.

Población

The soprano pipistrelle is one of the most abundant species in the eastern and southern half of the Peninsula, although this distribution may be biased by sampling effort. Even so, its crevice-dwelling habits and its great adaptation to urban environments make it difficult to obtain a population estimate for this species. However, density models applied to the area of habitat, generated through the sRedList platform, infer a population for Spanish territory of between 110,897 and 124,177 mature individuals. Population trends are not known, owing to the abundance and the crevice-dwelling habits of the species. Analyses based on remote sensing (sRedList) show that the Area of Habitat (AOH) has undergone a slight increase of less than 1% between 2006 and 2020, but a loss of 10.5% of the forest cover within its distribution range between 2009 and 2025. Although the increase in Area of Habitat may imply a population increase, this small variation contrasts with the loss of forest cover, so as a precaution the population trend is categorised as unknown. At regional scale, acoustic monitoring carried out in Catalonia over the last 10 years appears to indicate a positive population trend in the region (Bat Monitoring Programme, n.d.). The generation length has been established at 5.2 years (Pacifici et al., 2013).

Ecología y hábitat

Sistemas
0 Terrestre 1 Agua dulce (=aguas continentales)
Pipistrellus pygmaeus is a highly generalist species that readily adapts to anthropic and urbanised environments. While it occupies a vast array of terrestrial ecosystems including temperate forests, shrublands, and agricultural landscapes, it shows a pronounced ecological preference for freshwater habitats, such as riparian woodlands, standing water bodies, coastal wetlands, and salt marshes. In northern Europe, the species displays a more specialised habitat selection than its sibling species P. pipistrellus (Jones and Foidevaux 2023), foraging predominantly within riverine corridors and aquatic systems. Studies across central and northern Spain (Hermida Lorenzo et al. 2018, Molleda and Fombellida 2018) corroborate this pattern, showing a significantly higher relative abundance of P. pygmaeus in freshwater wetlands compared to P. pipistrellus. Conversely, in the Mediterranean biomes, this niche preference can be inverted: P. pygmaeus becomes the dominant, highly generalist, and widely distributed taxon, displaying elevated activity in thermophilic, more open environments with lower average annual precipitation (Tuneu-Corral et al. 2020). In semi-arid regions, its foraging behavior remains restricted to small water bodies (Lisón and Calvo 2014). Winter observations in the Ebro Delta confirmed that P. pygmaeus continues to actively forage during cold periods, utilizing urban sectors and natural wetland resources (Mas et al. 2022). As a crevice-dwelling specialist, the species utilizes natural fissures in rocks and tree bark, as well as anthropogenic cavities (expansion joints, structural cracks in buildings, and roller shutter boxes). It demonstrates excellent colonization rates in artificial bat boxes, where it establishes large maternity colonies (Jones and Foidevaux 2023). Although maternal roosting ecology is extensively documented, winter hibernation sites remain largely unknown for the majority of the population; localized studies have identified wintering individuals within buildings, basements, tree hollows, and bat boxes. Maternity clusters comprise tens to hundreds of individuals, with exceptional records exceeding 1,000 bats in northeastern Spain. These aggregates form in early spring, and females typically give birth to a single pup. During the mating season, territorial males defend specific roosting sites and broadcast social calls to attract harems. Foraging flights initiate shortly after dusk, extending for 5 to 6 hours with occasional secondary bouts prior to dawn. Foraging areas are typically located 4 to 10 km away from the day roost, within riparian bands, open water bodies, and forest margins. Its highly agile flight mechanics allow it to hunt in forest clearings and beneath low-hanging branches over water surfaces. Its opportunistic diet consists primarily of dipterans and lepidopterans, supplemented by other insect orders. The species routinely commutes at altitudes up to 800 m, significantly elevating its vulnerability to collisions with wind energy infrastructure. Furthermore, juveniles suffer from disproportionately high roadkill mortality along major highway networks (Medinas et al. 2013).
1.4 Bosque – Templado 14.1 Artificial - Terrestre – Tierra cultivable 14.4 Artificial - Terrestre – Jardines rurales 14.5 Artificial - Terrestre – Áreas urbanas 3.4 Matorral – Templado 3.8 Matorral – Vegetación arbustiva mediterránea 5.1 Humedales (continentales) – Ríos/arroyos/riachuelos permanentes (incluye cascadas) 5.4 Humedales (continentales) – Turberas, marismas, pantanos, turberas de transición 5.7 Humedales (continentales) – Marismas/charcas de agua dulce permanentes (menos de 8 ha)

Amenazas

The primary threat affecting urban populations of Pipistrellus pygmaeus is the widespread destruction and dynamic closing of structural roosting sites within human settlements. Accumulations of bat guano inside structural components frequently induce local conflicts with building owners. Roost entryways are subsequently sealed without specialized ecological protocols, often entombing complete maternal aggregates and inducing high mortality (Russo and Cistrone 2023). Additionally, regional declines in critical freshwater wetlands via prolonged anthropogenic surface/groundwater extraction and extensive chemical/nutrient pollution degrade both core foraging ranges and the aquatic prey base. Wind energy infrastructure represents an acute factor of anthropogenic mortality; P. pygmaeus represents the second most affected bat species across wind farms in Spain, comprising 13% of all reported fatalities (1,221 out of 9,186 monitored casualties, SECEMU, pers. comm. 2025). Finally, although long-term distributional impacts of global climate change remain uncertain, recent microclimatic stress via prolonged, consecutive summer heatwaves has converted historically optimal maternal roosts (such as artificial bat boxes and thin roofing elements) into ecological traps, causing severe lethal dehydration in both adults and pre-volant juveniles (Martín Bideguren et al. 2019).
  • 1.1 Áreas habitacionales y urbanas
    • 1.1 Conversión del ecosistema
    • 2.1 Mortalidad de especies
  • 3.3 Energía renovable
    • 2.1 Mortalidad de especies
  • 7.2 Presas y gestión/uso del agua
    • 1.2 Degradación del ecosistema
  • 9.1.1 Alcantarillado
    • 1.2 Degradación del ecosistema
  • 9.3.1 Carga de nutrientes
    • 1.2 Degradación del ecosistema
    • 2.3.8 Otros
  • 11.3 Extremos térmicos
    • 2.1 Mortalidad de especies

Uso y comercio

There is no documented evidence or historical record of local, national, or international direct consumptive utilize or commercial trade involving this taxon.

Acciones de conservación

Public awareness and environmental education campaigns targeting bats are essential to mitigate one of the species' primary threats: the destruction of roosts in buildings. In parallel, proper forest management strategies are necessary to increase the availability of natural roosting sites within woodland areas (Russo and Cistrone 2023). It is recommended to provide official action protocols to both local administrations and the general public, detailing instructions on management and proper institutional contacts upon encountering bats. Finally, optimizing the data pipeline from environmental impact assessments to local and national governmental bodies is fundamental. This would facilitate the implementation of precise, localized conservation measures and structured monitoring of wildlife mortality. Within this framework, the integration of the official 'Action protocol for conflictive wind turbines' developed by MITECO is highly recommended, combined with the mandatory preventative measure of curtailing wind turbine operations whenever wind speed drops below 6 m/s during nighttime hours from March to November inclusive (Sánchez-Navarro et al. 2020).
2.1 Gestión de sitios y áreas 3.2 Recuperación de especies 4.3 Concienciación y comunicación 5.2 Políticas y regulaciones

Créditos

Asesores

3
  • Mas Navarro, M.
  • López-Bosch, D.
  • Tuneu-Corral, C.

Revisores

3
  • Tena, E.
  • Cabezas León, S.M.
  • de Paz, Ó.

Investigación necesaria

1.2 Tamaño de población, distribución y tendencias 1.3 Historia natural y ecología 1.5 Amenazas

Referencias

  1. 1. Benda, P., Hulva, P. y Gaisler, J. (2004). Systematic status of African populations of Pipistrellus pipistrellus complex (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), with a description of a new species from Cyrenaica, Libya. Acta Chiropterologica, 6 (2), 193-217. https://doi.org/10.3161/001.006.0202
  2. 2. Cazalis, V., Di Marco, M., Zizka, A., Butchart, S. H. M., González-Suárez, M., Böhm, M., Bachman, S. P., Hoffmann, M., Rosati, I., De Leo, F., Jung, M., Benítez-López, A., Clausnitzer, V., Cardoso, P., Brooks, T. M., Mancini, G., Lucas, P. M., Young, B. E., Akçakaya, H. R. y Santini, L. (2024). Accelerating and standardising IUCN Red List assessments with sRedList. Biological Conservation, 298, Artículo 110761. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110761 Hermida Lorenzo, R. J., Santos Fernández, L. y López Gallego, Z. (2018). Contribución al conocimiento de la distribución y ecología de los murciélagos (Orden Chiroptera) en Castilla y León. Barbastella, 11 (1), 67-79. https://doi.org/10.14709/barbj.11.1.2018.08
  3. 3. Jones, G. y Foidevaux, J. S. P. (2023). Soprano Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pygmaeus (Leach, 1825). En D. Russo (Ed.), Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Chiroptera (pp. 591–615). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44029-9_67 Ka ňuch, P., Fornůsková, A., Bartonička, T., Bryja, J. y Řehák, Z. (2010). Do two cryptic pipistrelle bat species differ in their autumn and winter roosting strategies within the range of sympatry?. Folia Zoologica, 59 (2), 102-107. https://doi.org/10.25225/fozo.v59.i2.a4.2010
  4. 4. Lisón, F. y Calvo, J. F. (2014). Bat activity over small ponds in dry Mediterranean forests: Implications for conservation. Acta Chiropterologica, 16 (1), 95-101. https://doi.org/10.3161/150811014X683309
  5. 5. López-Baucells, A., Flaquer, C., Puig-Montserrat, X., Freixas, L. y Mohamed, L. (2012). Actualización del inventario de quirópteros y refugios en Ceuta: Primera cita de Pipistrellus pygmaeus en el norte de África.
  6. 6. Barbastella, 5 (1), 43-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.14709/BarbJ.5.1.2012.07 Martin Bideguren, G., López-Baucells, A., Puig-Montserrat, X., Mas, M., Porres, X. y Flaquer, C. (2019). Bat boxes and climate change: Testing the risk of over-heating in the Mediterranean region. Biodiversity and Conservation, 28 (1), 21–35. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-018-1634-7
  7. 7. Mas, M., Flaquer, C., Puig-Montserrat, X., Porres, X., Rebelo, H. y López-Baucells, A. (2022). Winter bat activity: The role of wetlands as food and drinking reservoirs under climate change. Science of The Total Environment, 828, Artículo 154403. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154403
  8. 8. Mathews, F., Anderson, M., Coomber, F., Finch, D., Le Marquand, C., O’Malley, K. y Wright, P. (2023). Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774). En D. Russo (Ed.), Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Chiroptera (pp. 555–589). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44029-9_66
  9. 9. Medinas, D., Marques, J. T. y Mira, A. (2013). Assessing road effects on bats: the role of landscape, road features, and bat activity on road ‐ kills. Ecological Research, 28 (2), 227-237. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-012-1009-6
  10. 10. Molleda, R. y Fombellida, I. (2018). Contribución al conocimiento de la distribución y estatus de la fauna quiropterológica de la Comunidad Autónoma de Cantabria. Barbastella, 11 (1). https://doi.org/10.14709/ 
BarbJ.11.1.2018.04
  11. 11. Pacifici, M., Santini, L., Di Marco, M., Baisero, D., Francucci, L., Marasini, G. G., Visconti, P. y Rondinini, C. (2013). Generation length for mammals. Nature Conservation, 5, 89–94. https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.5.5734 Programa de Seguimiento de Murciélagos. (s. f.). Plataforma de ciencia ciudadana para el estudio de las poblaciones de quirópteros. https://www.quiropteros.org/
  12. 12. Russo, D. y Cistrone, L. (2023). Pipistrellus pygmaeus (Europe assessment). La Lista Roja de Especies Amenazadas de la UICN 2023: e.T136649A216729008. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/136649/216729008
  13. 13. Sánchez-Navarro, S., Rydell, J. e Ibáñez, C. (2020). Bat fatalities at wind-farms in the lowland Mediterranean of southern Spain. Acta Chiropterologica, 21(2), 349-358. https://doi.org/10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21.2.010
  14. 14. Tuneu-Corral, C., Puig-Montserrat, X., Flaquer, C., Mas, M., Budinski, I. y López-Baucells, A. (2020). Ecological indices in long-term acoustic bat surveys for assessing and monitoring bats’ responses to climatic and land-cover changes. Ecological Indicators, 110, Artículo 105849. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105849
  15. 15. Hermida Lorenzo, R.J., Santos Fernández, L. and López Gallego, Z. 2018. Contribución al conocimiento de la distribución y ecología de los murciélagos (Orden Chiroptera) en Castilla y León. Barbastella, 11(1), 67-79.
  16. 16. Kaňuch, P., Fornůsková, A., Bartonička, T., Bryja, J. and Řehák, Z. 2010. Do two cryptic pipistrelle bat species differ in their autumn and winter roosting strategies within the range of sympatry?. Folia Zoologica, 59(2), 102-107.
  17. 17. Martín Bideguren, G., López-Baucells, A., Puig-Montserrat, X., Mas, M., Porres, X. and Flaquer, C. 2019. Bat boxes and climate change: Testing the risk of over-heating in the Mediterranean region. Biodiversity and Conservation, 28(1), 21-35.
  18. 18. Programa de Seguimiento de Murciélagos s.f.. Plataforma de ciencia ciudadana para el estudio de las poblaciones de quirópteros. https://www.quiropteros.org/

Última evaluación

Categoría LC — Preocupación Menor
Tendencia Desconocido
Año de evaluación 2026
IUCN ID #ESNRL012050
Ámbito Regional(multi-national)

Clasificación

Reino ANIMALIA
Filo CHORDATA
Clase MAMMALIA
Orden CHIROPTERA
Familia VESPERTILIONIDAE
Género Pipistrellus
Especie pygmaeus

Nombres comunes

Pipistrel·la nana
Soprano Pipistrelle
Murciélago de Cabrera
Pipistrelo mediterráneo
Morcego anano
Morcego-pigmeu (Portuguese)
Pipistrelle pygmée (French)
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