Nyctalus noctula
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The common noctule (Nyctalus noctula) is a species of insectivorous bat common throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa. The common noctule's short fur is dark brown after moulting in June (males) or July/August (females); later it changes to red-brown before the onset of winter. When awake, the body temperature is 36.5 °C (97.7 °F) but it decreases significantly during inactivity. The body mass of adult common noctule is 25–30 g (0.88–1.1 oz) and they have a wingspan of 37–40 cm (15–16 in). The species forages with a rapid flying speed of 20–40 km/h (12–25 mph), sometimes up to 60 km/h (37 mph). Because of temporally limited availability of insect prey, they have short daily activity periods before sunrise and after sunset of in total one hour or less and so must cope with up to twenty-three hours of fasting a day. Characterized by its robust body and long, broad wings also has a distinctive, pointed snout and large ears that are essential for its echolocation capabilities.
Most parts of Europe, central Russia, across the Ural mountain, Caucasus, Turkey, the Near East, to southwestern parts of Siberia, the Himalayas, China, Malaysia... Wikipedia →
Recording0:12
United Kingdom · 2026
© jamesbenwell · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:15
Netherlands · 2026
Max G.W. Verheij · iNaturalist · CC0
Recording0:11
Ukraine · 2025
© Наталія Урсатій · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Copenhagen | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 2 | Vienna | 🇦🇹 Austria | |
| 3 | Moscow | 🇷🇺 Russia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reserva Zoológica Oasys MiniHollywood | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Noctule sighting in Copenhagen on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 9th most-seen of the 10 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Noctule in Copenhagen on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Noctule sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Noctule sightings, Copenhagen has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Vienna (Austria, under 5%) and Moscow (Russia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Noctule is recorded against all the mammals logged in Copenhagen (6 verified sightings), 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.
