First record of Miniopterus schreibersii (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae) in Poland—a possible range expansion?

Abstract

Schreiber’s bent-winged bat Miniopterus schreibersii is a typical Mediterranean species. To date, the northern limit of its distribution range ran along the northern ends of Slovakia. This paper describes the first record of this species in Poland, at a more northerly site for this part of Europe. On October 7, 2015, an adult female of M. schreibersii was caught in the underground part of the New Castle in Rożnów, southern Poland (49° 46′ 23.8″ N, 20° 41′ 43.1″ E; 339 m a.s.l.). Subsequent observations were made at the same site during the autumn of 2018 and 2019. The likely migration route and the causes for a widening of the species distribution range are discussed in this paper. Observations suggest that, like other Mediterranean species, it has expanded its range in northerly direction.