Parastrellus hesperus
Silhouette: PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The canyon bat (Parastrellus hesperus), also known as the western pipistrelle, or American parastrelle is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Mexico and in the western United States. The species has historically been placed in the genus Pipistrellus, but molecular evidence does not show any close relationship with that genus, and accordingly it was classified into its own genus, Parastrellus, in 2006.
Parastrellus hesperus is the smallest bat in the United States. It has a wingspan of 190–215 millimetres (7.5–8.5 in) and a body length of 62–80 millimetres (2.4–3.1 in). The tail is 29–30 millimetres (1.1–1.2 in), the hind feet are 5 millimetres (0.20 in), and the ears are 9 millimetres (0.35 in). On average, females are slightly larger than males of this species. P. hesperus ranges in color from white to pale yellow to dark brown. These bats exhibit counter shading, being dark above and lighter colored below. Their faces, ears, feet, and flight membranes are usually very dark, almost black. The pelage is 3–4 millimetres (0.12–0.16 in) long and is full and soft. The bases of all the hairs are black with the distal portions fading to lighter shades. The wings... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Las Vegas | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Phoenix | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Bat sighting in Death Valley National Park on a given day, based on 10 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 16 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.
August and October–November
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Canyon Bat in Death Valley National Park on a given day, against under 5% in February, June–July, September and December, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Canyon Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Canyon Bat sightings, Death Valley National Park has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come Saguaro National Park (United States, about 10%) and Joshua Tree National Park (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Canyon Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Death Valley 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.
