Pipistrellus pipistrellus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) is a small pipistrelle microbat whose very large range extends across most of Europe, North Africa, and central South Asia, and may extend into Korea. It is one of the most common bat species in the British Isles. In Europe, the northernmost confirmed records are from southern Finland near 60°N.
In 1999, the common pipistrelle was split into two species on the basis of different-frequency echolocation calls. The common pipistrelle uses a call of 45 kHz, while the soprano pipistrelle echolocates at 55 kHz. Since the two species were distinguished, a number of other differences in appearance, habitat, and food also have been discovered.
It was described as a new species in 1774 by German naturalist Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber, who initially placed it in the genus Vespertilio, calling it Vespertilio pipistrellus. In 1839, Keyserling and Blasius reclassified the species, naming it Vesperugo pipistrellus.
This classification stood until 1897, when Miller placed the species into the genus Pipistrellus, where it remains as Pipistrellus pipistrellus. Its species name "pipistrellus" is derived from the Italian... Wikipedia →
Recording0:10
Italy · 2023
© Stefano Doglio · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording1:06
United Kingdom · 2021
© olliedav · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:03
United Kingdom · 2023
© chris_sherlock · iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 2 | Birmingham | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | Paris | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | London | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Pipistrelle sighting in Cévennes National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 16th most-seen of the 30 mammals 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.
February–March, June and September–November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Pipistrelle in Cévennes National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, July–August and December–January, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Pipistrelle sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is mostly seen at night.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Common Pipistrelle sightings, Cévennes National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Ecrins National Park (France, about 10%).
Same genus: Pipistrellus
The closest relatives of the Common Pipistrelle that you can see in Cévennes National Park (genus Pipistrellus, Pipistrelles) are Pygmy Pipistrelle (about 10%) and Kuhl's pipistrelle (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Pipistrelle is recorded against all the mammals logged in Cévennes National Park (14 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.
