Rhinolophus ferrumequinum maternity roosts are generally located underground especially in the southern part of its range, while in colder climates large attics are used. It hibernates in underground sites of almost any size, but large wintering colonies need to hibernate near favourable feeding habitats (Ransome 2020). Prey is caught on the wing by either hawking along habitat edges or by perch hunting, and distances from roosts to foraging sites are 3-5 (maximum 14) km (reviewed in Ransome 2020). The species mostly feeds on beetles (Coleoptera), especially scarabs, and moths, especially Noctuidae, followed by crane flies (Diptera, Tipulidae), caddis flies (Trichoptera), and ichneumonoid (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonoidea) parasitic wasps (Ransome 2020). A sedentary species, the greater horseshoe bat occasionally moves > 100 km (Hutterer et al. 2005).

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum is distributed through Europe from Portugal to European Türkiye, and east to Ukraine. In latitude, the European range lies between about 52°N in Western Europe and 48°N in Eastern Europe, and occurs south to the Iberian Peninsula and many large and small islands in the Mediterranean basin (Ransome 2020). It is present in the Spanish territory of Ceuta, North Africa (López-Baucells et al. 2012). There is a record of one vagrant bat in southeast Ireland (Marnell et al. 2019; not mapped). The range of elevations where this species can be found varies between 0 and 3,000 m asl.

It has a broad extra-European range, including the Maghreb (from Morocco to Tunisia) in North Africa, through Anatolia (Türkiye), to Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Iran. Eastwards, the range extends from the Russian Northern Caucuses eastwards through Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, southern Kazakhstan, to Afghanistan, Pakistan, northern India (including Sikkim), and Nepal. Populations in China, Korea and Japan are now assigned to Rhinolophus nippon (Ikeda and Motokawa 2021).

The greater horseshoe bat is protected by national legislation in most range states as well as by the Eurobats Agreement and Bern Convention where these apply. It is included in Annex II (and IV) of the EU Habitats Directive and therefore requires the designation of special areas of conservation (Natura 2000 network) for its protection in the EU. Rhinolophus ferrumequinum has been the target of many conservation actions across Europe. According to the latest (2013-2018) Article 17 reporting done under the Habitats Directive, the species conservation status is fully favourable only in the Steppic and the Black Sea biogeographic regions, unfavourable - inadequate in the remainder. According to the report, range prospects are good in 6 out of 7 regions (it is unknown in the continental), population prospects are good in 4 out of 7 regions (poor in the remaining regions), but habitat prospects are poor in all regions except the Black Sea. According to the Habitats Directive, 2321 Natura 2000 Sites are designated to protect this species.

The Greater Horseshoe Bat subpopulations require a specific habitat for foraging, consisting mainly of grassland with deciduous woodland blocks or strips, substantial hedgerows, and grazed pastures with meadows that are not cut until late summer to host prey. Avermectin should not be used to control nematodes in livestock to support dung beetle prey populations. Ungrazed meadows should be left uncut until after key prey, such as moths, have completed their life cycles. Heterogeneity in farmland should be maintained, including the development of hedgerow networks, and the use of pesticides should be avoided. Strict conservation of underground roosting sites, mostly used for hibernation, and conservation of roosts in buildings is also necessary. Disturbance should be avoided at all such sites, and artificial illumination around roosting sites, flight corridors, or foraging sites should be avoided or mitigated.