Oregon mammals

Mexican Free-tailed Bat in Oregon

Tadarida brasiliensis

Native to Oregon S4 Apparently Secure in Oregon

Not listed as nonindigenous in Oregon by USGS NAS; native to its Oregon range.

IUCN Red List status

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Photo: Matti Mero · Public domainTadarida brasiliensis - Bahamas - Long Island (sic) - Cartwright Cave - March 2006 - 2Photo: James Todd McCann · CC BY 4.0A dense column of Mexican free-tailed bats streaming from beneath a highway bridge at duskPhoto: Theo Summer · CC0Mexican free-tailed bats pouring into the evening sky as onlookers watch below

Photo: Matti Mero · Public domainTadarida brasiliensis - Bahamas - Long Island (sic) - Cartwright Cave - March 2006 - 2Photo: James Todd McCann · CC BY 4.0A dense column of Mexican free-tailed bats streaming from beneath a highway bridge at duskPhoto: Theo Summer · CC0Mexican free-tailed bats pouring into the evening sky as onlookers watch below

Mexican Free-tailed Bat in Oregon, by the numbers

Rare in Oregon 124th most recorded of 178 mammals logged in Oregon

18 occurrence records

13 with iNaturalist photos

Mar 23, 2026 Last seen in Oregon

Records from 2000–2026.

When to look for the Mexican Free-tailed Bat in Oregon

Most sightings fall in February.

18 Oregon occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence. Based on a small number of dated records; the seasonal pattern may not be representative.

Monthly Oregon records (table)

Month	Records
January	2
February	4
March	1
April	2
May	1
June	0
July	0
August	0
September	3
October	4
November	1
December	0

Monthly mexican free-tailed bat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Oregon, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Oregon, with recorded sightings peaking in February, with a smaller rise in September–October.

Occurrence map

Where Mexican Free-tailed Bat has been recorded in Oregon

18 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

18 Oregon records mapped

Where it's recorded in Oregon

County	Records
Jackson County	9
Douglas County	5
Lane County	3
Clackamas County	1

The complete county distribution, spread across 4 Oregon counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Mexican free-tailed bats form some of the largest bat colonies in the world farther south, but Oregon sits near the northern edge of their range, so records here near Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and Klamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge likely represent small, scattered roosts rather than the massive cave colonies the species is known for elsewhere.

The 13 records spread thinly across nearly every month with no clear peak, a pattern that fits a species genuinely uncommon at the margin of its range rather than one with a predictable seasonal rhythm. NatureServe ranks it S4, apparently secure, in Oregon, and its narrow, tapered wings make it one of the fastest-flying bats in North America when it does show up.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Full species profile Mexican Free-tailed Bat Tadarida brasiliensis Size 3.1–4.1 cm1.2–1.6 in Weight 7–12 g0.2–0.4 oz Lifespan 8 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Oregon in the atlas

Data & sources

The data and visualizations on this page draw on these open sources:

GBIFCC-BY 4.0occurrence records behind the range map, elevation, and record counts
iNaturalistCC0 / CC-BY / CC-BY-SAobservations, photos, and audio recordings
NatureServe ExplorerCC-BYthe state conservation rank
IUCN Red Listattributed factthe global conservation status
USGS NASpublic domainnative / introduced status
Natural Earthpublic domainthe relief basemap
USFSpublic domainnational-forest boundaries