Head to head
White-Winged Vampire Bat vs Hairy-Legged Vampire Bat
Overshadowed by their much more famous relative, the common vampire bat, the white-winged vampire bat and hairy-legged vampire bat round out the full trio of blood-feeding bat species, both specialising in bird blood rather than mammal blood.
| White-Winged Vampire Bat | Hairy-Legged Vampire Bat | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Diaemus youngi | Diphylla ecaudata |
| Primary blood source | Mainly birds, occasionally mammals | Almost entirely birds |
| Distinctive feature | Pale white wing-tip patches | Notably hairy hind legs |
| Evolutionary lineage | More recent branch | Most ancient of the three vampire bat lineages |
| Roost group size | Small groups in hollow trees | Small groups in caves or hollow trees |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Unknown |
| Habitat | Forest, wetlands | Forest |
White-Winged Vampire Bat vs Hairy-Legged Vampire Bat: common questions
What is the difference between the white-winged and hairy-legged vampire bats?
The white-winged vampire bat has distinctive pale wing-tip patches and occasionally takes mammal blood alongside its preferred bird blood, while the hairy-legged vampire bat feeds almost entirely on birds, has noticeably hairier hind legs, and represents a much older evolutionary lineage within the vampire bat family.
Which vampire bat is more ancient?
The hairy-legged vampire bat is considered by researchers to represent the most ancient evolutionary lineage among the three known vampire bat species, branching off earlier than both the white-winged vampire bat and the more familiar common vampire bat.
Why are these two vampire bats less well known than the common vampire bat?
Both species are genuinely rare and feed primarily on bird blood rather than the livestock blood that brings the common vampire bat into frequent contact with people, meaning far fewer encounters and considerably less detailed research attention than their more famous, mammal-blood-feeding relative.