It is present in a wide range of habitats being found in semi-arid areas, mallee, woodland, wet forest, alpine areas, savanna woodland, tropical forest, and rural and urban areas (Lumsden and Turbill 2008). Animals roost in cavities and crevices in trees, underneath the bark of trees, or in roofs of houses with a high level of consistency in roost choice throughout their range (Lumsden and Bennett 2006). Maternity roosts are typically in narrow cracks in large dead trees (Lumsden et al. 2002a). Females typically give birth to twins in late spring, and females breed in the first year of their life. The flight pattern is slow and manoeuvrable with prey caught by both aerial hawking and gleaning. Despite this slow flight pattern, individuals have been recorded foraging up to 12 km from roosting sites (Lumsden et al. 2002b). Diet consists primarily of moths, crickets, grasshoppers and beetles (Lumsden and Turbill 2008).

This species is present over most of Australia (including Tasmania). It was previously thought to be absent from the far north-east of the country, however, individuals have recently been captured in the north-west of Cape York Peninsula. It is known from sea level to 2,140 m asl (NSW Environment and Heritage 2019), but is more common at lower altitudes (Lumsden and Bennett 1995).

This species is known to occur in many protected areas.