The greater noctule bat has wings adapted for open-air hunting and uses echolocation frequencies above the hearing range of birds.

[3] The greater noctule bat has keen hearing and sense of smell, however its eyes are poorly developed.

The wings of the greater noctule bat are thinner than those of birds which allow it to maneuver quickly and accurately.

[6] The greater noctule bat has a robust skull and its rostrum is square with an ordinary nasal slit.

The fossil record of the greater noctule in the Iberian Peninsula suggests that they lived at different geographical locations from that of today.

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.

[8] The greater noctule bat is a tree-obligate species that prefers oak or beech trees that have a hollow space for day roosting.

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 with frequencies beyond the hearing range of birds.

[4] N. lasiopterus is understudied due to its rarity; very little is known of its mating habits, reproductive pattern, life cycle and sex ratio.

N. lasiopterus, as a Nyctalus species, has an outstanding capability for migration which can possibly result in considerable seasonal changes in sex ratio.

[14] The greater noctule bat has been shown to travel between several roosting sites and to participate in several societies through radio tracking studies.

It has been noted that changes by humans to the natural environment could have had an effect on the way the greater noctule bat travels and roosts in its attempts to find suitable food sources.

[8][9][14] It has been noted that a lack of roosting sites near food sources could be the reason for the large home range that is displayed by the greater noctule bat.

Another study of owl droppings found in areas in between GNB roosting sites has shown that the greater noctule bat is susceptible to predation in flight.

[9] The greater noctule bat is also known to increase its foraging range in response to different levels of potential food sources.

[9] These birds tend to pause for rest during the day in the marshland fields that the greater noctule bat forages for insects in at night.

Rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri), an invasive species, compete for homes in tree hollows, and will attack and kill adult noctules before colonising their habitat.

[16] The greater noctule bat is currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

[11] Some have even been found to roost in caves and possibly housing, though whether this is typical behavior or an effect of displacement is uncertain.

[11] Recent years have seen less reliance on fossil fuels and rather relying on wood as a source of energy, and consequently an increase in logging, therefore it is important to locate the areas in which they roosts to identify those which should be protected to prevent their decline, through which radio tracking proves an effective method.