Sympecma fusca
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Sympecma fusca, the common winter damselfly, is a damselfly a member of the Lestidae and related to the emeralds or spreadwings. This species can be found in much of southern and central Europe stretching out to Asia where it is replaced by S. paedisca. It is found around the Mediterranean in Europe and North Africa and on many Mediterranean islands.
It can be found in all types of standing water, including in brackish waters. In winter adults are found away from water on dry plant stems usually in open areas such as grassland and heaths. Sympecma fusca can reach a length of about 38 millimetres (1.5 in). It is distinct from all other European damselflies except Sympecma paedisca, so in most of its range there are no problems with identification. It does not have the bright blue or red colouration that is more usual for damselflies so it is often overlooked. It does not have the metallic emerald green sheen... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 2 | Kiskunság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 3 | Fertő-Hanság National Park | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 4 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 5 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 7 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Winter Damselfly sighting in Fertő-Hanság National Park on a given day, based on 31 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 24th most-seen of the 243 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–April and October
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Winter Damselfly in Fertő-Hanság National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and November–February, the lowest months.
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Winter Damselfly sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Common Winter Damselfly sightings, Fertő-Hanság National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Biebrza National Park (Poland, about 20%) and Kiskunság National Park (Hungary, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Common Winter Damselfly is recorded against all the insects logged in Fertő-Hanság National Park (31 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.
