Renaissance Painting May Have Captured Bat Eating Bird Midflight Centuries Before Science

An oil painting from 1611 by Flemish artist Jan Brueghel the Elder may illustrate a greater noctule bat capturing a bird in midair, a behavior only scientifically validated in 2025. Titled "Air," the artwork depicts a bat holding a bird, identified by researchers as a greater noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus). A study published on June 29 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences indicates that the bat's bird-hunting behavior was likely recognized in 17th-century Europe. Miguel Clavero and Pedro Romero-Vidal, ecologists from Doñana Biological Station in Spain, examined the painting for their research on historical wildlife trade. While some experts, including Gianna Dondini and Simone Vergari from Italy, suggest it could be a common noctule, Clavero believes the bat's size relative to the bird points to it being a greater noctule. The painting also features over 60 flying animal species, with the bat positioned in the upper right corner.