Catch'Um binoculars logoCatch’Um
Grey-headed Flying Fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) wildlife photograph

Field guide · rare

Grey-headed Flying Fox

Australia's big blossom bat — silver-grey head, fox face, and dusk sky rivers of wings.

Vulnerable

Pteropus poliocephalus

Overview

Grey-headed flying foxes are large fruit bats endemic to eastern Australia. By day they hang in noisy camps; at dusk they stream out to feed on blossom, nectar, and fruit, pollinating and dispersing native trees.

For Australia collectors, a flying-fox camp at sunset is a rare eastern-seaboard card — controversial neighbour, vital pollinator.

Habitat

  • Eucalypt forest
  • Coastal rainforest
  • Urban park camps

Rainforest, eucalypt forest, coastal scrub, and urban parks of eastern Australia from Queensland to Victoria, roosting in communal camps near water and foraging widely at night.

Countries found

Field notes

Field scale for the Grey-headed Flying Fox: length around Body 23-29 cm; wingspan 1-1.2 m; weight 600-1,000 g. Typical lifespan: Around 15 years in the wild.

When you are scanning habitat, prioritise eucalypt forest, coastal rainforest, and urban park camps. Those settings are where a clean look and a usable photo are most likely.

Quick ID anchor: Grey head and neck, rusty-brown collar and body, and large dark eyes with a fox-like face. Confirm with behaviour and habitat before you log the discovery.

Where to see one

  • Australia

    In Australia, start at Daintree Rainforest (Queensland). Ancient tropical forest at the edge of the Great Barrier Reef, with cassowaries, tree kangaroos, and forest birds.

    More context on this destination lives on the Australia expedition page.

    Spotting guide for Grey-headed Flying Fox in Australia

Diet

Nectar, pollen, blossom, and fruit from eucalypts, figs, and other native and orchard trees.

Forage by night, often commuting long distances from the day camp.

Behaviour

Hang upside-down in noisy colonies by day; stream out at dusk in long flight lines.

Social within camps; mothers carry dependent young while foraging.

How to identify

Grey head and neck, rusty-brown collar and body, and large dark eyes with a fox-like face.

No tail; wingspan often over 1 m; claws for hanging and climbing.

Interesting facts

  1. 01

    Largest bat endemic to mainland Australia.

  2. 02

    Silver-grey head contrasts with reddish-brown body fur.

  3. 03

    Important pollinators and seed dispersers of native trees.

  4. 04

    Roost by day in large communal camps.

  5. 05

    Can fly tens of kilometres nightly to flowering trees.

  6. 06

    Wingspans exceed a metre in adults.

Conservation status

VU: Vulnerable

Grey-headed flying foxes are Vulnerable. Habitat loss, extreme heat events, and conflict at urban camps reduce numbers. Protecting roosts and flowering forests along eastern Australia is critical.

Sources: IUCN Red List

Keep exploring

Where it lives

Related discoveries

Free on iOS

Catch the Grey-headed Flying Fox

Spot one in the wild, then scan it in Catch'Um to log your rare discovery.