Sympecma fusca
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Sympecma fusca, the common winter damselfly, is a damselfly a member of the Lestidae and related to the emeralds or spreadwings. This species can be found in much of southern and central Europe stretching out to Asia where it is replaced by S. paedisca. It is found around the Mediterranean in Europe and North Africa and on many Mediterranean islands.
It can be found in all types of standing water, including in brackish waters. In winter adults are found away from water on dry plant stems usually in open areas such as grassland and heaths. Sympecma fusca can reach a length of about 38 millimetres (1.5 in). It is distinct from all other European damselflies except Sympecma paedisca, so in most of its range there are no problems with identification. It does not have the bright blue or red colouration that is more usual for damselflies so it is often overlooked. It does not have the metallic emerald green sheen... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Winter Damselfly sighting in Biebrza National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 40th most-seen of the 97 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Winter Damselfly in Biebrza National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, June and August–October, the lowest months. December has too few records to rate.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Winter Damselfly sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Common Winter Damselfly sightings, Biebrza National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 20%) and Fertő-Hanság National Park (Hungary, about 20%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the Common Winter Damselfly that you can see in Biebrza National Park (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Banded Demoiselle (about 40%), Azure Damselfly (about 30%) and Blue Featherleg (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Winter Damselfly is recorded against all the insects logged in Biebrza National Park (10 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.
