The answer to whether bats eat hummingbirds is a straightforward no. The vast majority of bat species worldwide pose no threat to these small, fast-moving birds. This common query stems from a misunderstanding of bat diets and a visual confusion that occurs in certain geographical areas. Bats and hummingbirds occasionally interact with the same food sources, but they occupy completely different time slots in the day-night cycle. This ecological non-overlap is the primary reason why a predatory relationship between the two is non-existent.
The Specifics of Bat Predation on Birds
Direct predation of any bird by a bat is an extremely rare occurrence, documented in only a handful of the over 1,400 known bat species. The most well-known exception is the greater noctule bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus), found in Europe and Asia, which regularly preys on small, nocturnally migrating songbirds. This large bat uses high-frequency echolocation calls above the hearing range of its prey, allowing it to approach silently and intercept birds in flight.
Other carnivorous bats, predominantly found in the tropics, may occasionally capture a resting bird, but this is a gleaning strategy rather than an active aerial hunt. Hummingbirds are diurnal, active only during the day, and enter a state of deep, energy-saving torpor at night. Since bats are active exclusively after sunset, the opportunity for a bat to successfully hunt an alert, fast-flying hummingbird is virtually zero.
Defining Bat Diets
Most bats do not eat birds because of their highly specialized diets, which fall into several major categories. The largest group is the insectivorous bats, which hunt flying insects using echolocation. Other specializations include frugivorous bats (fruits) and nectarivorous bats (nectar and pollen). These dietary niches mean the vast majority of bats lack the physical adaptations for pursuing vertebrate prey.
Nectar-feeding bats, such as the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, have evolved long snouts and specialized tongues to access liquid rewards deep within flowers. Like hummingbirds, they must consume a large volume of sugary liquid to fuel their high metabolism. Their anatomy is perfectly suited for lapping nectar, not for hunting a bird, which is why they often come into contact with human-placed feeders.
Sharing the Nighttime Nectar Source
The confusion surrounding bats and hummingbirds largely comes down to the shared use of artificial feeders. Hummingbirds are active during the day, draining feeders until dusk, but they are completely inactive at night. Nectar-feeding bats, which are strictly nocturnal, arrive precisely after sunset to feed on the same sugar water. This midnight visitation can result in a feeder being completely emptied overnight, leading observers to assume the day-active hummingbirds were preyed upon or robbed.
In the southwestern United States and Mexico, species like the Mexican Long-tongued Bat and the Lesser Long-nosed Bat follow a migratory “nectar trail” of blooming desert plants such as agave and saguaro cacti. When natural nectar sources become scarce, these bats readily use backyard hummingbird feeders as a reliable, high-energy supplement. The bats hover or pause briefly to feed, much like hummingbirds, filling an ecological role at a different time of day as important pollinators rather than predators.