Michigan mammals

Silver-haired Bat in Michigan

Lasionycteris noctivagans

Native to Michigan S5 Secure in Michigan

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

IUCN Red List status

  1. LC
  2. NT
  3. VU
  4. EN
  5. CR
  6. EW
  7. EX

LC – Least Concern

Widespread and abundant; not at risk.

Silver-haired bat tucked into loose barkSilver-haired bat roosting against barkSilver-frosted back of a silver-haired batLive silver-haired bat perched on a rock face
Photo: Mark Richman · CC BY 4.0Silver-haired bat tucked into loose barkPhoto: David LaMagna · CC BY 4.0Silver-haired bat roosting against barkPhoto: David LaMagna · CC BY 4.0Silver-frosted back of a silver-haired batPhoto: Jeff Bartlett · CC BY 4.0Live silver-haired bat perched on a rock face

Silver-haired Bat in Michigan, by the numbers

Occasional in Michigan 46th most recorded of 75 mammals logged in Michigan

102 occurrence records
40 with iNaturalist photos
Jun 24, 2026 Last seen in Michigan

Records from 2000–2026.

102 total records count every Michigan occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the monthly chart covers the 100 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Silver-haired Bat in Michigan

Most sightings fall in August.

100 Michigan occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) by month of year, 2000–2026. Shows when the species is recorded, not a guarantee of presence.

Monthly Michigan records (table)
MonthRecords
January3
February2
March0
April7
May12
June15
July10
August28
September15
October8
November0
December0

Monthly silver-haired bat occurrence records (iNaturalist and GBIF) in Michigan, 2000–2026.

Seasonality

Year-round in Michigan, with recorded sightings peaking in August.

Occurrence map

Where Silver-haired Bat has been recorded in Michigan

102 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

102 Michigan records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
Edwin S. George Biological Station 5
University of Michigan Biological Station 3
Newberry State Forest Area 2
Tawas Point State Park 1
Baraga Plains State Wildlife Management Area 1
Pigeon River Country State Forest Area 1
Fresh Air Camp 1
Huron National Forest 1

Protected places with the most silver-haired bat sightings, from the USGS Protected Areas Database plus named mountain ranges, good spots to look, not a full breakdown, so they don't sum to the total.

Where it's recorded in Michigan

CountyRecords
Chippewa County 12
Washtenaw County 9
Wayne County 8
Huron County 8
Livingston County 7
Antrim County 6
Cheboygan County 4
Ingham County 4
Eaton County 4
Lake Superior County 3
Iosco County 3
Gogebic County 3
18 other counties 31

The complete county distribution, spread across 30 Michigan counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Silver-haired bat reports cluster in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, at Keweenaw National Historical Park, Hiawatha National Forest, and Ottawa National Forest, forest country that fits a bat known for roosting under loose bark and in old woodpecker holes rather than caves. With 86 GBIF records against 40 from iNaturalist, more than half the documentation likely comes from specimen or acoustic survey data.

The double seasonal peak, April into May and again in August into September, tracks spring and fall migration rather than summer residency; this species passes through much of Michigan on its way between wintering and breeding range. NatureServe ranks it S5, Secure, statewide, one rank above its G4 global status.

Occurrence data from iNaturalist and GBIF.

Silver-haired bat tucked into loose bark
Full species profile Silver-haired Bat Lasionycteris noctivagans Size 9.5–11.5 cm3.7–4.5 in Weight 11 g0.4 oz Lifespan 12 yr View the full profile

More mammals in Michigan 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
  • USGS Protected Areas Databasepublic domainthe named parks, forests, and refuges behind "notable places to look"