Diclidurus albus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
The northern ghost bat (Diclidurus albus) is a bat species from South America, Trinidad, and Central America. It is a relatively rare, completely white, insectivorous bat, with an unusual sac at the base of its tail. The northern ghost bat is a member of the family Emballonuridae in the order Chiroptera. It is considered medium-sized for its genus, Diclidurus. It is pure white to pale grey in color, with some dark-grey basal pelage. In stark contrast to other members of the family Emballonuridae, it does not have wing-sacs, but rather, a large glandular structure located centrally with respect to its uropatagium. The species derives its name from its habitual locale and glandular form. Diclidurus is from the Latin word diclid, or two-valved, which describes the multi-chambered nature of its uropatagium gland.
The northern ghost bat can be distinguished from other members of its genus by the presence of a vestigial thumb with a near-absent claw. Amongst the northern ghost bat population, sexual dimorphism is present. Specifically, males tend to be slightly larger in size when compared to females. Diclidurus albus is intermediate in weight relative to other members of... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carara National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Machalilla National Park | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | |
| 3 | Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Corcovado National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Ghost Bat sighting in Carara National Park on a given day, based on 51 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 6th most-seen of the 17 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Ghost Bat in Carara National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May, July and September–October, the lowest months. That is one of Carara National Park's driest months, with about 65 mm of rain against 730 mm in October.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Ghost Bat 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 4 parks where we can rate Northern Ghost Bat sightings, Carara National Park has the highest daily chance: about 30%. Next come Machalilla National Park (Ecuador, about 20%) and Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve (Costa Rica, about 20%).
Same family: Emballonuridae
The closest relatives of the Northern Ghost Bat that you can see in Carara National Park (family Emballonuridae, Sheath-tailed Bats) are Greater Sac-winged Bat (about 20%) and Proboscis Bat (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Ghost Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Carara National Park (51 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.
