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 47th most recorded of 75 mammals logged in Michigan

49 occurrence records
48 with iNaturalist photos
Jun 24, 2026 Last seen in Michigan

Records from 2000–2026.

49 total records count every Michigan occurrence from GBIF and iNaturalist; the map plots a georeferenced sample of 47; the monthly chart covers the 47 records with a full observation date.

When to look for the Silver-haired Bat in Michigan

Most sightings fall in May.

47 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
January1
February1
March0
April5
May10
June4
July5
August8
September10
October3
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 May, with a smaller rise in August–September.

Occurrence map

Where Silver-haired Bat has been recorded in Michigan

47 records mapped · zoom and drag to explore

47 Michigan records mapped

Notable places to look

Park, forest, or monumentiNaturalist records
University of Michigan Biological Station 2
Newberry State Forest Area 2
Tawas Point State Park 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 11
Wayne County 7
Cheboygan County 3
Oceana County 2
Washtenaw County 1
Ingham County 1
Iosco County 1
Presque Isle County 1
Baraga County 1
Keweenaw County 1
Muskegon County 1
Manistee County 1
Other localities 18

The complete county distribution, spread across 12 Michigan counties. Every occurrence record falls in one county, so these sum to the total. Counties from GBIF and US Census boundaries.

Michigan holds 49 silver-haired bat records, and Chippewa County, at the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula, leads with 11, ahead of Wayne County with 7. The northern counties are forest country that fits a bat known for roosting under loose bark and in old woodpecker holes rather than caves. All but one of the records come from iNaturalist.

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"