"Leather-Winged Bat" is an English folk song about a collection of "birds". The most frequently occurring creatures are a bat, a woodpecker, a bluebird, an owl and a turtledove (bats, of course, technically being mammals and not birds). However, depending on the artist, the song can have different creatures, such as

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary were an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), ...

's 1969 version which has a bat, a black bird, wood pecker, turtle dove, and a blue jay. Each "bird" has something to say about love and courtship in some sort of rhyming manner. It was recorded by

Burl Ives Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American Folk music, folk singer and actor with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his o ...

on 31 January 1941 and released in August 1941 on the album ''

Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger ''Okeh Presents the Wayfaring Stranger'' (Okeh K-3) is a 1941 album by Burl Ives consisting of four 10-inch records (78 rpm, 6315-6318). This set marked Ives' debut as a recording artist. He accompanies himself on the guitar as he sings 12 folk s ...

''. It has also been recorded by

Pete Seeger Peter Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and social activist. He was a fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s and had a string of hit records in the early 1950s as a member of The Weav ...

, The Duhks, Bill Staines,

Spider John Koerner "Spider" John Koerner (August 31, 1938 – May 18, 2024) was an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He was best known as a guitarist and vocalist in the blues trio Koerner, Ray & Glover, with Dave "Snaker" Ray, Dave Ray and Tony Glover ...

Kitty White Kitty Jean Bilbrew (July 7, 1923 – August 11, 2009), known professionally Kitty White, was an American jazz singer who was popular in Los Angeles nightclubs. She recorded mostly on the West Coast with Buddy Collette, Gerald Wiggins, Chico ...

, Nettles, Vicki Neville, Kim Milai, Anne Price,

Peggy Seeger Margaret "Peggy" Seeger (born June 17, 1935) is an American Folk music, folk singer and songwriter. She has lived in Britain for more than 60 years and was married to the singer-songwriter Ewan MacColl until his death in 1989. She is a member ...

, Warren Fremling and

Megson (band) Megson are an English folk duo composed of husband and wife Stu Hanna and Debbie Hanna (previously Debbie Palmer). The duo have released thirteen albums and one EP on their own label, ''edj''. Their live performances feature Stu playing a guitar ...

.Megson's 2012 abum When I Was a Lad (A Collection of Children's Folk Songs) track number 9: The Leatherwing Bat

References

See also