Diclidurus albus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
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 |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Ghost Bat sighting in Corcovado National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 26th most-seen of the 31 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Ghost Bat in Corcovado National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, May and July–December, the lowest months.
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.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Northern Ghost Bat sightings, Corcovado National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Carara National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%), 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 Corcovado National Park (family Emballonuridae, Sheath-tailed Bats) are Thomas's Shaggy Bat (about 10%), Chestnut Sac-winged Bat (about 10%) 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 Corcovado National Park (7 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.
