There's some good news from the darkness as some of Britain’s bat species are edging towards recovery.

The latest long-term survey results released by the National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) show that at least three of Britain’s 17 breeding bat species are showing significant signs of population rise.

These are the still relatively rare greater horseshoe bat, lesser horseshoe bat and common pipistrelle.

Another six species or species groups appear stable, according to the latest annual report.

These results reflect relatively recent changes in bat populations, since 1999 for most species.

Prior to this, there were historical declines dating back to at least the start of the 20th century.

Kit Stoner, chief executive of the Bat Conservation Trust which leads the NBMP, said: “These positive results indicate that strong legal protection works, and conservation action to protect and conserve bats is achieving success. It is vitally important that this continues.

"Strong wildlife laws and conservation action are underpinning the recovery of charismatic species such as our wonderful common pipistrelle, after decades of historical decline.

"This means many of us can now enjoy seeing some of these fascinating flying mammals in our parks and green spaces close to where we live.

"This recovery is not by coincidence but thanks to sustained efforts and it brings us a step closer to achieving our vision of a world richer in wildlife where bats and people thrive together.”

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In recent years there have been indications that the Natterer’s bat trend is also rising, however it was not possible to update this trend as the Hibernation Survey was suspended in 2020/21.

Species considered stable include Daubenton’s bat, noctule, soprano pipistrelle and brown long-eared bat.

However, findings should be treated with caution for some species, in particular, the serotine, which looks stable, but its scarcity during surveys makes population sizes and changes uncertain.

Four survey methods are used to produce long-term trends: roost counts involving counting bats emerging from summer roosts; hibernation surveys involving counting bats present at hibernacula; field and waterway surveys involving counting certain bat species along defined transect walks.

The hibernation survey trends only go up to winter 2019/2020 because the survey was suspended in 2020/21 due to Covid-19.

The NBMP features annual bat surveys undertaken by around a thousand dedicated volunteers each year.

Bats are the top nocturnal predators of flying insects in Britain.

They are long-lived and slow breeding, making them very susceptible to extinction, which is why they are legally protected.

The historical declines have been blamed on more intensive farming methods, along with loss of roosting and foraging habitats, persecution, pesticides including the use of toxic timber treatment chemicals within roosts, poor water quality, declines in invertebrate prey groups, development and land-use change.

Bats remain vulnerable to pressures such as landscape change, unsympathetic development and emerging threats such as new building practices, climate change, wind turbines, light pollution and any potential detrimental changes to regulations, policies and wildlife laws.