Pteropus poliocephalus
Silhouette: Margot Michaud · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
The grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) is a megabat native to Australia. The species shares mainland Australia with three other members of the genus Pteropus: the little red P. scapulatus, spectacled P. conspicillatus, and the black P. alecto. The grey-headed flying fox is the largest bat in Australia.
The grey-headed flying fox is endemic to the south-eastern forested areas of Australia, principally east of the Great Dividing Range. Its range extends approximately from Bundaberg in Queensland to Geelong in Victoria, with outlying colonies in Ingham and Finch Hatton in the north, and in Adelaide in the south. In the southern parts of its range it occupies more extreme latitudes than any other Pteropus species.
As of 2021, the species is listed as "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and Australian Government's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act threatened species list. A description of the species was published by Coenraad Temminck in his 1825 monograph of mammals. Hybridisation with the species Pteropus alecto has been noted where their ranges intersect.
The common names for Pteropus poliocephalus include grey-headed... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 3 | Natura Artis Magistra | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 4 | Kyabram Fauna Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Jerusalem Biblical Zoo | 🇮🇱 Israel | |
| 7 | Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 9 | Bandung Zoo | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 10 | Australian Reptile Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 11 | Gorge Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 12 | National Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Birdworld Kuranda | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 14 | Kuranda Koala Gardens | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 15 | Caversham Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 16 | Ranger Red’s Zoo & Conservation Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-headed Flying-fox sighting in Springbrook National Park on a given day, based on 204 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 22 mammals 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.
February and March
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Grey-headed Flying-fox in Springbrook National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June to January, the lowest months. Those are among Springbrook National Park's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain a month against 45 mm in August.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Grey-headed Flying-fox 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 5 parks where we can rate Grey-headed Flying-fox sightings, Springbrook National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Royal National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Grey-headed Flying-fox is recorded against all the mammals logged in Springbrook National Park (204 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.
