Heat wave crushes Flying Fox colonies in Australia

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Quick pick up

• Gray and black headed flying foxes flying foxes they died in January 2026 heat wave in the southeast Australia.

• Thousands of flying foxes died.

• This is most severe for the grey-headed flying fox, which is a vulnerable species.

• Mothers with cubs are the most affected, which makes it difficult for the population to recover.

Flying foxes are a type of bat inside bat order of mammals. There are several different species and unfortunately two native Australian species have suffered sudden and dramatic losses recently. We examine why thousands of these large bats have died in recent months.

Record Flying Fox deaths

Australian and international news outlets have reported a record number of deaths of both gray-headed and black flying foxes in recent weeks. The deaths were described as the worst mass-mortality event since the “black summer” period, which ran from July 2019 to May 2020. The worst period occurred between December 2019 and January 2020, when the fires had a profound impact on Australia’s wildlife as well as people and the economy.

In the heat wave that affected south-eastern Australia in January 2026, thousands of flying foxes in South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales perished. Grey-headed flying foxes were the worst affected, but black flying foxes were also injured.

What we know about grey-headed flying foxes

The main victim of this catastrophe is the gray-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), an endemic species of the east coast of Australia. Evidence suggests that their range has shifted southwards in response to climate change. They live in tropical forests, forests and swamps, where they prefer to take cover in the branches of large trees.

Grey-headed flying foxes are the largest bats in Australia and can weigh up to 35 ounces and reach 11 inches in length. Unlike other bats, they do not echolocate, but use their large eyes to find fruit, pollen, nectar and bark to feed on. Feeding takes place at night and they rest during the day. Their complex social arrangements mean that several thousand can congregate together, especially during the mating season.

These flying foxes are listed as vulnerable under the NSW Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 and under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Their main threat is habitat destruction through deforestation.

Black flying foxes of Australia

Black Flying Foxes (Pteropus Alectus) were also drastically affected. They are found in the tropical and subtropical regions of Australia, but especially in the coastal areas of the Northern Territory. This species lives in tropical forests, open eucalyptus forests and savannah forests. However, they prefer to rest in bamboo, rainforests and mangroves.

As the name suggests, these bats have a mostly black body and weigh about 23 ounces. They are also nocturnal, spending the night feeding on fruit, pollen and nectar. During the day, they shelter in colonies called camps. They are currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and are not listed under the US Endangered Species Act.

The wildlife catastrophe is unfolding

Saturday, January 10^th2026, 500 flying foxes were found dead at Brooks Creek near Dapto, south of Wollongong, according to Australian media reports. Another 170 died in a colony in Figtree.

In an interview with ABC News in this article, WIRES wildlife bat keeper Storm Stanford said, “At Wolli Creek — which is mostly gray-headed flying foxes — at least 40 animals have died, but a lot of that camp you can’t get to, so that’s just a sample.” She also reported that hundreds of animals had died in Windsor, Parramatta, Campbelltown and in southern NSW areas such as Wagga Wagga.

In this interview with The Guardian newspaper, the director of Melbourne’s Fly by Night bat clinic, Tamsyn Hogarth, said: “We also found countless adults that could not withstand the heat in areas of the colonies that were hotter – such as trees with foliage and less shade and hot riverside clay.”

Overall, at least 1,000–2,000 flying foxes are estimated to have died in South Australia, with thousands more killed in Victoria and up to 1,000 in New South Wales.

Why did flying foxes die?

Australia has just experienced a major heat wave. Parts of South Australia and Victoria experienced temperatures of up to 46-47°C, with Melbourne exceeding 42°C and some Sydney suburbs reaching 40 degrees.

The temperatures themselves put the animals under enormous stress; struggling to cool down and maintain flight. They also suffer from dehydration and sunstroke. At the same time, the heat reduces the availability of their food sources, such as nectar from eucalyptus flowers. Unfortunately, because mothers with cubs are the most affected, it is difficult for the population to recover.

Wildlife organizations and volunteers did their best to help the struggling animals. The sight of so many bats, dead or dying, was absolutely devastating. Now residents are calling for sprinkler systems to be installed in known colony locations to protect the bats from future heat waves.

The post Rising temperatures down: Heat wave crushes flying fox colonies in Australia appeared first on AZ Animals.