Crocothemis nigrifrons
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Crocothemis nigrifrons is a species of dragonfly in the family Libellulidae. Its common names include black-headed skimmer and blue-scarlet dragonfly. It is found in Australia, Papua New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands. The male is blue and black, and the female is yellow to brown in color.
The species is usually found near still or sluggish waters and is common over much of its range. The genus name Crocothemis is derived from the Greek κρόκος (krokos, "crocus", the source of saffron) and -themis, from Greek Θέμις (Themis), the goddess of divine law, order and justice. In early odonate taxonomy, names ending in -themis were widely used for dragonflies. The name refers to the amber coloration at the base of the wings.
The species name nigrifrons is derived from the Latin niger ("black") and frons ("forehead" or "brow"), referring to the black face. List of Odonata species of Australia Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Headed Skimmer sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 19th most-seen of the 76 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June, August and November
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Black-Headed Skimmer in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December to April, the lowest months. Those are among Kakadu National Park's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain a month against 350 mm in January.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-Headed Skimmer sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-Headed Skimmer sightings, Kakadu National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Lamington National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Libellulidae
The closest relatives of the Black-Headed Skimmer that you can see in Kakadu National Park (family Libellulidae, Skimmers) are Painted Grasshawk (about 40%), Graphic Flutterer (about 40%) and Common Glider (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-Headed Skimmer is recorded against all the insects logged in Kakadu National Park (25 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.
