The big brown bat is the largest among the bats potentially encountered by visitors to Shenandoah National Park. Watch the night sky at dusk and wait for what at first seems like a bird, except that it makes maneuvers that no bird can. Recognized by their steady flight and large size, big brown bats can be seen at dusk in summer as they commute and forage for insects. Though most people never encounter any bat, Virginians and other North Americans, are most likely to encounter big brown bats in places where the bats night roost or rest between foraging bouts. Like most bats, big brown bats are social animals, found as singles and in small groups or large colonies of typically dozens to hundreds of individuals.