Banff National Park

🇨🇦 Canada

🫎 Bighorn Sheep and Elk Rockies

⏱ 4–5 days 🥾 Moderate trails

🌍 #190 Global · 3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #34 in North America #27 in Temperate Forest

Canadian Rockies, Canada 492 spp. recorded

Banff puts its wildlife beside the road. Bighorn sheep stand on the rock cuts above the highway on nearly eight visits in ten, and elk graze the flats around the townsite on six.

51.427° N 115.804° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Bighorn Sheep

Ovis canadensis

70–80% · Very likely

Red Deer

Cervus elaphus

60–70% · Likely

Brown Bear

Ursus arctos

30–40% · Possible

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

70–80% · Very likely

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

Callospermophilus lateralis

60–70% · Likely

Columbian Ground Squirrel

Urocitellus columbianus

60–70% · Likely

Common Raven

Corvus corax

60–70% · Likely

Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis

60–70% · Likely

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

60–70% · Likely

Mountain Chickadee

Poecile gambeli

50–60% · Likely

Pine Siskin

Spinus pinus

50–60% · Likely

Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia

50–60% · Likely

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

50–60% · Likely

American Red Squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

50–60% · Likely

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Bighorn Sheep

Ovis canadensis

70–80% · Very likely

Red Deer

Cervus elaphus

60–70% · Likely

Brown Bear

Ursus arctos

30–40% · Possible

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

Callospermophilus lateralis

60–70% · Likely

Columbian Ground Squirrel

Urocitellus columbianus

60–70% · Likely

American Red Squirrel

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

50–60% · Likely

American Black Bear

Ursus americanus

40–50% · Likely

Hoary Marmot

Marmota caligata

40–50% · Likely

American Pika

Ochotona princeps

30–40% · Possible

Mountain Goat

Oreamnos americanus

30–40% · Possible

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

20–30% · Possible

Coyote

Canis latrans

20–30% · Possible

Tamia mineur

Tamias minimus

20–30% · Possible

Snowshoe Hare

Lepus americanus

20–30% · Possible

Red Fox

Vulpes vulpes

10–20% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

American Robin

Turdus migratorius

70–80% · Very likely

Common Raven

Corvus corax

60–70% · Likely

Dark-eyed Junco

Junco hyemalis

60–70% · Likely

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Setophaga coronata

60–70% · Likely

Mountain Chickadee

Poecile gambeli

50–60% · Likely

Pine Siskin

Spinus pinus

50–60% · Likely

Black-billed Magpie

Pica hudsonia

50–60% · Likely

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Sitta canadensis

50–60% · Likely

Ruby-crowned Kinglet

Regulus calendula

40–50% · Likely

American Crow

Corvus brachyrhynchos

40–50% · Likely

White-crowned Sparrow

Zonotrichia leucophrys

40–50% · Likely

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Thamnophis elegans

10–20% · Possible

Painted Turtle

Chrysemys picta

10–20% · With luck

Common Garter Snake

Thamnophis sirtalis

0–10% · With luck

Northern Rubber Boa

Charina bottae

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Western Toad

Anaxyrus boreas

30–40% · Possible

Wood Frog

Lithobates sylvaticus

10–20% · With luck

Long-toed Salamander

Ambystoma macrodactylum

10–20% · With luck

Columbia Spotted Frog

Rana luteiventris

10–20% · With luck

Pacific chorus frog

Pseudacris regilla

Insufficient data

Northern Leopard Frog

Lithobates pipiens

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐑

Bighorn Sheep and Elk in Spring

AprMay

Bighorn sheep come down to the roadside slopes for the new grass and elk gather on the valley flats.

Bighorn Sheep

Ovis canadensis

70–80% · Very likely

Red Deer

Cervus elaphus

60–70% · Likely

🐿️

Ground Squirrels and Toads in Summer

JulAug

Columbian and golden-mantled ground squirrels are active on every trail and western toads breed in the shallows.

Columbian Ground Squirrel

Urocitellus columbianus

60–70% · Likely

Western Toad

Anaxyrus boreas

30–40% · Possible

🦌

Deer and Garter Snakes in Late

FebMar

Mule deer feed close to the townsite and wandering garter snakes emerge on the first warm rock.

Mule Deer

Odocoileus hemionus

40–50% · Likely

Western Terrestrial Garter Snake

Thamnophis elegans

10–20% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

<5

<5

10–20

10–20

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

<5

<5

30–40

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

40–50

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

50–60

0–10

10–20

40–50

70–80

80–90

90–100

80–90

70–80

60–70

20–30

20–30

20–30

Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel

0–10

0–10

10–20

10–20

50–60

70–80

70–80

80–90

60–70

10–20

0–10

0–10

Columbian Ground Squirrel

0–10

10–20

0–10

30–40

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

30–40

0–10

0–10

0–10

90–100

90–100

80–90

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

80–90

80–90

90–100

Dark-eyed Junco

30–40

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

20–30

10–20

20–30

Yellow-rumped Warbler

0–10

10–20

0–10

20–30

80–90

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

0–10

0–10

10–20

Mountain Chickadee

90–100

80–90

70–80

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

80–90

80–90

30–40

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

60–70

70–80

60–70

40–50

20–30

10–20

20–30

Black-billed Magpie

80–90

80–90

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

60–70

70–80

70–80

80–90

Red-breasted Nuthatch

80–90

80–90

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

60–70

70–80

American Red Squirrel

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

American Black Bear

0–10

10–20

0–10

0–10

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

0–10

0–10

Animal Events

🐑 Bighorn Sheep and Elk in Spring

🐿️ Ground Squirrels and Toads in Summer

🦌 Deer and Garter Snakes in Late

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good

🫎 Bighorn Sheep and Elk Rockies

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

388

🐒 Mammals

91

🦎 Reptiles

3

🐸 Amphibians

10

492 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

19 Threatened 64 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

63%

📊

Coverage (135 species at ≥5% of 492 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

27%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 4 mammal)

47% Global avg

59%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

88

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

11

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

19

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