Big Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is in the Evening Bats family (Vespertilionidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 6,478 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Big Brown Bat: observations by month (U.S.)
About Big Brown Bat
The big brown bat (Eptesicus fuscus) is a widespread species of bat found throughout North America, Central America, the Caribbean, and extreme northern South America.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Big Brown Bat by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 567 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Pennsylvania | 493 | July | Apr–Oct |
| Oklahoma | 309 | December | Oct–Aug |
| New York | 307 | August | Mar–Sep |
| California | 280 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Virginia | 266 | July | Feb–Sep |
| Massachusetts | 263 | May | Apr–Aug |
| Michigan | 246 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Missouri | 245 | October | Apr–Nov |
| Minnesota | 215 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Illinois | 213 | July | Feb–Sep |
| North Carolina | 207 | June | May–Oct |
| Nebraska | 189 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Wisconsin | 168 | August | Mar–Sep |
| Indiana | 164 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Maryland | 164 | August | May–Oct |
| Vermont | 164 | August | Jul–Aug |
| Tennessee | 147 | June | May–Dec |
| Kentucky | 134 | August | Jul–Jun |
| Arizona | 130 | July | May–Sep |
| Texas | 126 | July | Jul–Dec |
| Georgia | 113 | April | Apr–Oct |
| New Jersey | 109 | May | May–Aug |
| Connecticut | 105 | August | May–Aug |
| Kansas | 101 | August | Mar–Nov |
| Colorado | 96 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Mississippi | 90 | January | Jan–Jan |
| Iowa | 89 | August | Jun–Oct |
| Alabama | 87 | May | May–Aug |
| New Hampshire | 80 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Oregon | 74 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Arkansas | 59 | June | May–Nov |
| Maine | 58 | July | Apr–Oct |
| West Virginia | 52 | July | May–Sep |
| New Mexico | 48 | July | May–Sep |
| South Carolina | 44 | June | Mar–Aug |
| Washington | 41 | August | Apr–Aug |
| Utah | 39 | August | May–Aug |
| South Dakota | 32 | July | Jul–Aug |
| District of Columbia | 28 | May | May–Jul |
| Montana | 28 | July | May–Aug |
| Nevada | 22 | August | Apr–Aug |
| Louisiana | 18 | March | Mar–Apr |
| Delaware | 15 | May | May–May |
| Rhode Island | 13 | May | Apr–Jun |
| Florida | 12 | June | Jun–Jun |
| Idaho | 12 | July | Jul–Sep |
| Wyoming | 11 | August | Jul–Aug |
| North Dakota | 5 | August | Aug–Aug |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related mammals (Evening Bats)
Photography tips
- Keep a legal and safe distance: 100 yards from bears and wolves and 25 yards from other large animals in national parks.
- Dawn and dusk are peak activity times for most mammals.
- Use your car as a blind on wildlife drives.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Big Brown Bat?
Nationally, July has the most observations, with the main season from April to October.
Where is Big Brown Bat most often seen?
The most observations come from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oklahoma.