fossil record of bats extends over 50 million years, their fossils are extremely rare. The fossil record of the greater noctule in the Iberian Peninsula suggests that they lived at different geographical locations from that of today. The fossils of greater noctule are almost non-existent prior to the Miocene epoch. The deterioration of the climate at the end of Neogene led to the disappearance of tropical species and vespertilionids profited by accessing a wider range of habitats. Habitat The greater noctule bat is a tree-dwelling bat that roosts in trees all year round. It is found throughout the deciduous forests of Europe from the Iberian Peninsula to the Bosporus region of Turkey. The largest concentration of greater noctule bat is in the south western portion of Spain. The greater noctule bat is a tree-obligate species that prefers oak or beech trees that have a hollow space for day roosting. Greater noctule bats also roost in pine trees if there are no other options. Other studies have shown that this bat greatly prefers birch trees. The studies’ differing results may suggest instead that the greater noctule bat does not prefer a specific tree, but perhaps looks for the physical condition of the tree. It has been noted in several studies of greater noctule bat roosting behavior that different trees have different functions for the greater noctule bat, and that these tree-specific needs could affect roost selection for communities of greater noctule bats. Studies in Hungary (Ke´ kes peak, 1014 m a.s.l.) indicates that greater noctules prefer high roost locations. The study also hypothesizes that older, decayed trees are preferred by the species. Diet While the majority of the world's carnivorous bats are insect eaters, greater noctule bats do regularly prey on birds. One study has shown that predation on birds accounts for over 80% of the greater noctule bat’s diet during periods of the year when the birds are migrating. The greater noctule bat switches its prey type opportunistically depending on the time of year. In addition, with the possible exception of the Asian great evening bat, the greater noctule bat is the only bat that hunts birds on the wing rather than when roosting. The greater noctule is well adapted for hunting passerines in the air. It is large in size, has wings with a wingspan of up to 46 centimeters that are evolved for open-air hunting, and employs echolocation