Azores noctule
Nyctalus azoreum (Thomas, 1901)
The azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum) is a species in the family Vespertilionidae, order Chiroptera. Recorded adults weigh 14.2 g to 21.9 g and live up to 12.5 years. Its IUCN Red List status is Vulnerable.

Quick facts about the azores noctule
- Weight
- 14.2 g – 21.9 gsrc for Weight
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- 12.5 yearssrc for Lifespan
- Diet
- Invertivoresrc for Diet
- Longest recorded lifespan
- 16 years
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- 1.5src for Young per litter or clutch
- Litters or clutches a year
- 1src for Litters or clutches a year
- Active
- At night (nocturnal)src for Active
- Lifestyle
- Aerialsrc for Lifestyle
- Conservation status
- Vulnerable (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Where does the azores noctule live?
Not recorded
What is the azores noctule?
The Azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum) is a species of bat found in the dry forests of the Azores. It is the only species of mammal endemic to the Azores. It has been recorded on most of the islands of the Azores, and remains common on some but is rare on others. Its numbers are threatened due to habitat loss caused by humans, and the remaining populations are quite fragmented. It is known to roost in hollowed-out trees, buildings, and caves.
The species is related to the widespread lesser noctule, and in the past was treated as a subspecies of that species. Genetic studies have found that it originated recently from lesser noctules which colonised the Azores, and has low levels of genetic divergence from its parent species. It nevertheless is much smaller than the lesser noctule and weighs less, has darker fur and has a different frequency of echolocation calls (about 4–5 Hz higher), and is usually treated as a separate species.
As opposed to other bats, the Azores noctule exhibits an unusually high frequency of diurnal flight, frequently hunting insects by day, although it is still most active at night. It has been hypothesised that the Azores noctules' diurnal foraging behaviour may be due to the absence of avian predators in the Azores. Azores noctules still seem to exhibit some anti-predator behaviour, such as leaving their roosting sites in groups, but this may be related to foraging behaviour or non-avian predators such as rats.
From the Wikipedia article “Azores noctule” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Azores_noctule&oldid=1382276803), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the azores noctule endangered?
The azores noctule is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List: it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.
- LCLeast Concern
- NTNear Threatened
- VUVulnerable
- ENEndangered
- CRCritically Endangered
- EWExtinct in the Wild
- EXExtinct
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Vulnerable species. What the categories mean.
How is the azores noctule classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classMammalia
- orderChiroptera
- familyVespertilionidae
- genusNyctalus
- SpeciesNyctalus azoreum (Thomas, 1901)
Synonyms Pterygistes azoreum
Other names and names in other languages (21)
- Azorean batEnglish
- Azorean batEnglish
- Azores noctule.English
- Nòctul de les AçoresCatalan
- netopýr azorskýCzech
- Azoren-AbendseglerGerman
- Νυχτοβάτης των ΑζορώνGreek
- Nóctulo De AzoresSpanish
- Nóctulo de las AzoresSpanish
- azorienisolepakkoFinnish
- Noctule des AçoresFrench
- רמשן אזוריHebrew
- Nottola delle AzzorreItalian
- アゾレスヤマコウモリJapanese
- AsorflaggermusNorwegian Bokmål
- AzoreneaftenseilerNorwegian Bokmål
- Azoren Rosse VleermuisDutch
- borowiec azorskiPolish
- Morcego dos AçoresPortuguese
- Morcego-dos-AçoresPortuguese
- Азорская вечерницаRussian
Relatives of the azores noctule
Other species in the same genus Nyctalus.

Common noctule
Nyctalus noctula

Lesser noctule
Nyctalus leisleri

Greater noctule bat
Nyctalus lasiopterus
Birdlike noctule
Nyctalus aviator
Mountain noctule
Nyctalus montanus

Chinese noctule
Nyctalus plancyi
CompareAzores noctule vs Common noctuleAzores noctule vs Lesser noctuleAzores noctule vs Greater noctule batAzores noctule vs Birdlike noctule
Common questions
Answered only where our data holds the answer.
How big is the azores noctule?
An adult azores noctule weighs 14.2 g – 21.9 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.
Is the azores noctule endangered?
The azores noctule is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces a high risk of extinction in the wild.
How long does the azores noctule live?
The azores noctule has a recorded lifespan of 12.5 years.
What kind of animal is the azores noctule?
The azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum) belongs to the family Vespertilionidae in the order Chiroptera.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles · CC0 1.0 · E096-269
Myhrvold, N.P., Baldridge, E., Chan, B., Sivam, D., Freeman, D.L. & Ernest, S.K.M. (2015) An amniote life-history database to perform comparative analyses with birds, mammals, and reptiles. Ecology 96: 3109. https://doi.org/10.1890/15-0846R.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3563457.v1 - Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - EltonTraits 1.0: species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals · CC0 1.0 · 1.0
Wilman, H., Belmaker, J., Simpson, J., de la Rosa, C., Rivadeneira, M.M. & Jetz, W. (2014) EltonTraits 1.0: Species-level foraging attributes of the world's birds and mammals. Ecology 95: 2027. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1917.1. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.3559887.v1 - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/azores-noctule
“Azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/azores-noctule.
@misc{azores_noctule_2026,
title = {Azores noctule (Nyctalus azoreum)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/azores-noctule},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}