ʻŌpeʻapeʻa
This solitary, tree-roosting bat is Hawaiʻi’s only living native terrestrial mammal and an insect hunter most often detected after sunset.
Artwork inspired by Juliette May Fraser
ʻŌpeʻapeʻa roost alone in trees and emerge around dusk to hunt flying insects across forest, pasture, coast, and urban-edge airspace. Silver-tipped fur creates a frosted appearance, while the Hawaiian name is associated with the shape of a traditional canoe sail.
Much remains difficult to observe directly. Habitat loss, barbed wire, wind-energy collisions, tree trimming, and disturbance of roosting young are concerns. Never cut a suspected maternity roost without current guidance, and do not handle a grounded bat; contact wildlife professionals instead.
- Hawaiian name
- ʻŌpeʻapeʻa
- Roost
- Usually solitary in trees
- Diet
- Flying insects
Quick guide
- Watch
- Scan open sky shortly after sunset.
- Protect
- Do not trim an occupied roost tree.
Observe Hawaiʻi’s native bat at dusk
- Flight
- Fast turns and direct passes differ from many larger night birds.
- Coat
- Brown fur has pale silver tips, though this is rarely visible in flight.
- Tail
- The membrane between the legs is heavily furred.
- Evidence
- Acoustic recordings and expert review often outperform visual guesses.
Good to know
Not every dusk silhouette is a bat, and visual species identification is often impossible. A detector recording needs expert interpretation because devices, calls, and conditions vary.
Notice these
- Silver-tipped fur
- Furred tail membrane
- Fast dusk flight