Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) is an insectivorous bat of the genus Rhinolophus. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe and is thus easily distinguished from other species. The species is sedentary, typically travelling up to 30 kilometres (19 mi) between the winter and summer roosts, with the longest recorded movement being 180 km (110 mi). The frequencies used by this bat species for echolocation lie between 69–83 kHz, have most energy at 81 kHz and have an average duration of 37.4 ms.
The greater horseshoe bat is the largest horseshoe bat in Europe. It has a distinctive noseleaf, which has a pointed upper part and a horseshoe-shaped lower part. Its horseshoe noseleaf helps to focus the ultrasound it uses to 'see'. The greater horseshoe bat also has tooth and bone structures that are distinct from that of other rhinolophids. Its first premolar on the upper jaw protrudes from the row of teeth. For other horseshoe bats, this premolar is very small or non-existent. Also in comparison to its relatives, the greater horseshoe bat has relatively short... Wikipedia →
Recording0:03
Portugal · 2021
© neilfletcher · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:26
Germany · 2023
© Stefan Gey · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:11
Italy · 2020
© Giacomo Gola · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Horseshoe Bat sighting in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, based on 23 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 23rd most-seen of the 30 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February, April, July and November
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Horseshoe Bat in Pyrénées National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March, May–June, August–October and December, the lowest months.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Greater Horseshoe Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Greater Horseshoe Bat sightings, Pyrénées National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Mercantour National Park (France, about 10%) and Cévennes National Park (France, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Greater Horseshoe Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Pyrénées National Park (23 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.
