Bat of the Years 2026–2027 in Romania

The main actors of the public vote for Bat of the Years 2026–2027 in Romania are three quite different bat species. Only one of them can win. They are:

The public vote runs until February 20th, 2026, at 23:00. The vote takes place also on our Facebook and Instagram pages, the number of votes being added from all sources.

Below you can read about each species and also explore their photo galleries. Or you can jump directly to voting here.

The Bent-winged Bat (Miniopterus schreibersii)

Which forms huge colonies exclusively in caves

The bent-winged bat forms many of the largest bat colonies of Europe in Romanian caves, for example in Huda lui Papară Cave (with over 34,000 individuals in hibernation), Șura Mare Cave (with over 17,000 individuals in hibernation), or the Betfia Pothole (with over 7,000 individuals in the maternity colony).

A typically cave-dwelling species, it forms colonies exclusively in caves or other underground sites (for example mine galleries) throughout the year. Thus, both hibernation colonies (in winter) and maternity colonies (in summer) are formed underground. It prefers to forage in deciduous forests and migrates seasonally (between summer and winter roosts) over distances of 40–100 km.

It is a threatened species due to many human activities, including cave tourism, intensive forestry, and energy projects, for example through the operation of wind farms where preventive measures are not applied. It is classified as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN at the European level, with declining populations.

The Pond Bat (Myotis dasycneme)

Which prefers clean waters and old-growth forests

The pond bat is one of Romania’s rare bat species. During summer it forms colonies mainly in buildings (attics, church towers) or, more rarely, in cavities of old trees. Maternity colonies are found mainly in lowland areas with lakes, slow-flowing rivers, and extensive wetlands. It hibernates in caves or other underground shelters, usually solitarily, without forming colonies.

The pond bat is closely associated with water surfaces, foraging almost exclusively above lakes, channels, or river branches, where it captures aquatic insects. It migrates seasonally between summer and winter roosts over distances of 100–300 km.

There are relatively large areas of the country from which there are no data on the presence of the species, and information on maternity colonies is largely lacking. It is a threatened species due to the loss of wetlands, water pollution, disturbance in roosts, and renovation of buildings without protective measures. It is classified as Vulnerable (VU) by the IUCN at the European level, with declining populations.

The Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)

Perhaps the most common bat species in Romania

The noctule is a very frequent species in Romania, present in all regions of the country, both in natural and urban areas. It is a species that uses tree cavities as roosts throughout the year. However, it can also use caves during hibernation, forming colonies of hundreds or thousands of individuals. Maternity colonies (in hollow trees or building crevices) are much smaller, consisting of a few dozen individuals.

It forages in open spaces, above forests, grasslands, and agricultural areas. It is a fast flier, adapted to capturing insects at height. It migrates over very long distances between summer and winter roosts, sometimes hundreds or even over 1,000 km.

The main threats to the species are the felling of hollow trees, intensive forestry, habitat loss, as well as mortality caused by wind farms (when these operate without mitigation measures). At the European level it is classified by the IUCN as a species of Least Concern (LC), with population trends unknown. However, in several regions local populations are declining.

Select your favorite and vote for Bat of the Years 2026–2027 in Romania!

Since 2020 we also implement the European system, where Bat of the Year is designated for two years. Currently, the Bat of the Years 2026–2027 at the European level is Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri), a typical forest species that can migrate hundreds of kilometers between summer and winter roosts.