Common Blossom-bat - profile

Indicative distribution

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Key:

known

predicted

The areas shown in pink and/purple are the sub-regions where the species or community is known or predicted to occur. They may not occur thoughout the sub-region but may be restricted to certain areas. ( click here to see geographic restrictions). The information presented in this map is only indicative and may contain errors and omissions.

Scientific name: Syconycteris australis

Conservation status in NSW: Vulnerable

Commonwealth status: Not listed

Profile last updated: 24 Mar 2020

Description

Common Blossom-bats are small nectar-eating bats with large eyes. They are around 6 cm long and have very soft fawn to reddish fur. They are highly specialised for a diet of nectar and pollen, having very pointed muzzles and long, thin brush-like tongues.

Distribution

Coastal areas of eastern Australia from Hawks Nest in NSW to Cape York peninsula in Queensland. In areas, the distribution extends inland to coastal foothills.

Habitat and ecology

Common Blossom-bats often roost in littoral rainforest and feed on nectar and pollen from flowers in adjacent heathland and paperbark swamps. They have also been recorded in a range of other vegetation communities, such as subtropical rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest and other coastal forests.
They generally roost individually in dense foliage and vine thickets of the sub-canopy, staying in the same general area for a season. They change roost sites daily, but each roost site is generally only 50m or so away from other recent roosts.
Favoured feeding sites are repeatedly visited on consecutive nights within a flowering season and revisted over several years.
They require a year round supply of nectar and pollen which is gathered from a mosaic of coastal complex vegetation types. When these vegetation types are in short supply of nectar and pollen (Nov/Dec in northern NSW) Common Blossom-bats have been known to utilise riverine areas containing Black Bean, Silky Oak and Weeping Bottlebrush.

Regional distribution and habitat

Click on a region below to view detailed distribution, habitat and vegetation information.

Threats

Clearing of coastal habitat for development resulting in habitat degradation, fragmentation, and edge effects
Weeds, such as Bitou Bush, that suppress the regeneration of key food trees, such as Coastal Banksia.
Predation by foxes and feral cats may occur whilst the bat is feeding on low hanging flowers and fruit.
Inappropriate fire regimes applied in heathland habitats leading to reduced flowering of Banksia, Callistemon and Melaleuca species.
Loss of habitat from climate change including inundation of lowland (wallum) habitat, coastal erosion, influx of saline water, as well as drying of littoral forests from temperature rise and increased drought.
Limited viable habitat for the species reducing NSW population viability.
Lack of knowledge of threats.
Impacts from light associated with coastal development affecting behaviour (e.g. reduced foraging), particularly in small reserves where there are edge effects

Recovery strategies

A Saving Our Species conservation project is currently being developed for this species and will be available soon. For information on how you can contribute to this species' recovery, see the Activities to assist this species section below.

Activities to assist this species

Control of serious coastal weed species such as Bitou Bush.
Protect areas of littoral rainforest, coastal heath and paperbark swamp.
Plant Common Blossom-bat feed trees such as local species of banksia, bottlebrush and paperbark.
Initiate and support rainforest and heath regeneration projects.

Information sources

Churchill, S. (2008) Australian Bats. New Holland, Sydney.
Churchill, S. (2008) Australian Bats. Second Edition. New Holland, Sydney.
Law, B.S. and Spencer, H.J. (1995) Common Blossom-bat Syconycteris australis. Pp. 423-5 in Strahan, R.(ed.) The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books, Sydney.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002) Threatened Species of the Lower North Coast of New South Wales. (NSW NPWS, Hurstville)
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2002) Threatened Species of the Upper North Coast of NSW: Fauna. (NSW NPWS, Coffs Harbour)

IBRA Bioregion	IBRA Subregion	Known or predicted	Geographic restrictions region

NSW North Coast	Coffs Coast and Escarpment	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Karuah Manning	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Macleay Hastings	Known	None
NSW North Coast	Yuraygir	Known	None
Ocean	Tweed-Moreton	Known	None
Ocean - Other State	Northern Australian Coastal Waters	Known	None
Other State	QLD	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Burringbar-Conondale Ranges	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Lowlands	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Clarence Sandstones	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Scenic Rim	Known	None
South Eastern Queensland	Sunshine Coast-Gold Coast Lowlands	Known	None