FaunaHub
VUVulnerablePartial review

Grey-headed Flying Fox

Pteropus poliocephalus

Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus), a large fruit bat in flight.

Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus).

Image: Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
VU · Vulnerable
Animal group
Mammals
Population trend
Decreasing
Last verified

Conservation overview

The grey-headed flying fox is a large fruit bat of eastern Australia, with a wingspan of around a metre. It is assessed as Vulnerable.

It pollinates and disperses seeds over long distances as it feeds on nectar and fruit at night.

Range & habitat

Forests and urban areas of eastern Australia.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Habitat loss
  • Heat-stress die-offs
  • Conflict and persecution

Why it matters

A large fruit bat that pollinates and spreads the seeds of native trees, the grey-headed flying fox is a keystone for Australian forests despite often being seen as a nuisance.

Gallery

A grey-headed flying fox skimming water.

Grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus).

Image: Andrew Mercer (www.baldwhiteguy.co.nz), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Grey-headed Flying Fox

Frequently Asked Questions

Are flying foxes dangerous to have around?
They are important pollinators and seed dispersers, not predators; like all wild animals they should not be handled, but their ecological role is highly beneficial.
Why is the grey-headed flying fox Vulnerable?
Published assessments cite habitat loss, mass die-offs during extreme heat, and conflict and persecution where colonies meet people. See the IUCN Red List.

Last updated: