Large Copper
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Białowieża National Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

6 Verified sightings at Białowieża National Park From 2019 to 2026
80 In all 5 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Large Copper

Large copper (Lycaena dispar) is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. Lycaena dispar is widely distributed across temperate Eurasia from western Europe to the Amur region, Korea and Manchuria. While it is currently in severe decline in north-western Europe, it is expanding in central, northern and eastern regions.

Several Asian subspecies extend the range eastward. The species has been declining in many European countries mainly as a result of habitat loss. Lycaena dispar is a large lycaenid butterfly with a wingspan of 44–52 mm. The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism. Males have bright orange wings with narrow black margins and white fringes. The short androconia (sex brands) are located near the leading edge of the forewing. Females have broader dark brown margins on the forewings with a parallel row of dark spots.

Both sexes have distinctive silvery-blue hindwing undersides patterned with... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~30%
2 Kiskunság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
3 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
4 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~10%
5 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Daegu 🇰🇷 South Korea
~20%
2 Daejeon 🇰🇷 South Korea
~20%
3 Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea
~10%
4 Warsaw 🇵🇱 Poland
~10%
5 Novosibirsk 🇷🇺 Russia
~10%
6 Vienna 🇦🇹 Austria
~10%
7 Prague 🇨🇿 Czechia
~10%
8 Kyiv 🇺🇦 Ukraine
~10%
9 Birmingham 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
10 Moscow 🇷🇺 Russia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Large Copper in Białowieża National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Large Copper sighting in Białowieża National Park on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 111th most-seen of the 158 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Large Copper in Białowieża National Park?

May and June

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Large Copper in Białowieża National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Large Copper?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Copper sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Białowieża National Park the best place to see a Large Copper?

3rd of 5

Of the 5 parks where we can rate Large Copper sightings, Białowieża National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Hortobágy National Park (Hungary, about 30%) and Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 20%).

Where does the Large Copper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Large Copper is recorded against all the insects logged in Białowieża National Park (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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