Cape Breton Highlands National Park

🇨🇦 Canada

🐋 Pilot Whales Off the Cabot Trail

🌍 #240 Global · 3.1 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #46 in North America #47 in Temperate Forest

Maritimes, Canada 399 spp. recorded

Cape Breton Highlands National Park sits on the north shore of Nova Scotia, part of the Maritimes. It blends rugged coastal cliffs with inland temperate forest, offering a mix of spruce‑fir stands and open meadows. The park’s signature elk roam the forested valleys and can be spotted grazing on the plateau in the early summer.

46.740° N 60.537° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Alces alces

Ursus americanus

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

20–30% · Possible

★

Globicephala melas

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Thamnophis sirtalis

Junco hyemalis

Larus smithsonianus

Turdus migratorius

Corvus brachyrhynchos

Anaxyrus americanus

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

50–60% · Likely

Phalacrocorax auritus

Larus marinus

Poecile atricapillus

Setophaga coronata

Zonotrichia albicollis

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Alces alces

Ursus americanus

Globicephala melas

📊 Most Spotted

LC Endemic

Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

Tamias striatus

Lepus americanus

Halichoerus grypus

Vulpes vulpes

Alces americanus

Odocoileus virginianus

Castor canadensis

Lynx rufus

Canis latrans

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Insufficient data

Glaucomys sabrinus

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

★

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Junco hyemalis

Larus smithsonianus

Turdus migratorius

Corvus brachyrhynchos

50–60% · Likely

Phalacrocorax auritus

Larus marinus

Poecile atricapillus

Setophaga coronata

Zonotrichia albicollis

Spinus tristis

Melospiza melodia

Vireo olivaceus

📊 Most Spotted

LC Endemic

Thamnophis sirtalis

60–70% · Likely

Opheodrys vernalis

20–30% · Possible

Storeria occipitomaculata

Diadophis punctatus

Chrysemys picta

📊 Most Spotted

LC Endemic

Anaxyrus americanus

50–60% · Likely

Lithobates clamitans

40–50% · Likely

Lithobates sylvaticus

Plethodon cinereus

Ambystoma maculatum

Pseudacris crucifer

Notophthalmus viridescens

10–20% · Possible

Lithobates pipiens

10–20% · Possible

Lithobates palustris

10–20% · With luck

Hemidactylium scutatum

Insufficient data

Lithobates septentrionalis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🫎

Moose Viewing Peaks

MayOct

Moose are most visible feeding in roadside bogs and fresh growth during spring green-up, and again during the autumn rut when bulls move in the open highlands.

Alces alces

60–70% · Likely

🐋

Pilot Whale Season

JulAugSep

minke and fin whales feed in the same waters.

Balaenoptera acutorostrata

Insufficient data

Balaenoptera physalus

Insufficient data

Globicephala melas

10–20% · With luck

🐦

Boreal Warbler Breeding Season

MayJunJul

Migratory wood-warblers return to the park's boreal forest to breed in late spring; the park records 230+ bird species and is a noted warbler destination.

Setophaga coronata

50–60% · Likely

Setophaga magnolia

30–40% · Possible

Setophaga ruticilla

30–40% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

Elk

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

20–30

70–80

American Black Bear

20–30

10–20

30–40

20–30

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

10–20

Bald Eagle

40–50

30–40

20–30

10–20

20–30

30–40

20–30

30–40

20–30

30–40

Long-finned Pilot Whale

0–10

10–20

20–30

0–10

Common Garter Snake

40–50

30–40

40–50

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

30–40

Dark-eyed Junco

30–40

40–50

20–30

70–80

80–90

70–80

60–70

30–40

20–30

American Herring Gull

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

50–60

70–80

60–70

70–80

80–90

American Robin

20–30

50–60

70–80

80–90

60–70

40–50

30–40

20–30

American Crow

80–90

70–80

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

80–90

American Toad

40–50

30–40

20–30

10–20

40–50

60–70

70–80

40–50

60–70

20–30

American Red Squirrel

70–80

30–40

20–30

30–40

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

20–30

Double-crested Cormorant

40–50

20–30

30–40

40–50

50–60

70–80

50–60

60–70

Great Black-backed Gull

50–60

40–50

70–80

60–70

30–40

40–50

50–60

60–70

50–60

Black-capped Chickadee

40–50

30–40

50–60

60–70

30–40

40–50

60–70

80–90

40–50

70–80

Yellow-rumped Warbler

10–20

20–30

10–20

20–30

80–90

60–70

70–80

50–60

20–30

10–20

White-throated Sparrow

10–20

20–30

10–20

20–30

40–50

60–70

70–80

40–50

50–60

20–30

10–20

Animal Events

🐋 Pilot Whale Season

🫎 Moose Viewing Peaks

🐦 Boreal Warbler Breeding Season

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

🐋 Pilot Whales Off the Cabot Trail

🦜

Biodiversity

Good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

300

🐒 Mammals

🦎 Reptiles

🐸 Amphibians

399 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

28 Threatened 39 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

59%

📊

Coverage (140 species at ≥5% of 399 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

35%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 2 mammal, 1 reptile, 1 amphibian)

47% Global avg

69%

🔭

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

132 Global avg

🌟

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

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

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Cape Breton Highlands National Park

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Elk

American Black Bear

Bald Eagle

Long-finned Pilot Whale

📊 Most Spotted

Common Garter Snake

Dark-eyed Junco

American Herring Gull

American Robin

American Crow

American Toad

American Red Squirrel

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Black-backed Gull

Black-capped Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler

White-throated Sparrow

⭐ Iconic Species

Elk

American Black Bear

Long-finned Pilot Whale

📊 Most Spotted

American Red Squirrel

Eastern Chipmunk

Snowshoe Hare

Gray Seal

Red Fox

Moose

White-tailed Deer

American Beaver

Bobcat

Coyote

Minke Whale

Northern Flying Squirrel

⭐ Iconic Species

Bald Eagle

📊 Most Spotted

Dark-eyed Junco

American Herring Gull

American Robin

American Crow

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Black-backed Gull

Black-capped Chickadee

Yellow-rumped Warbler

White-throated Sparrow

American Goldfinch

Song Sparrow

Red-eyed Vireo

📊 Most Spotted

Common Garter Snake

Smooth Greensnake

Redbelly Snake

Ringneck Snake

Painted Turtle

📊 Most Spotted

American Toad

Green Frog

Wood Frog

Eastern Red-backed Salamander

Spotted Salamander

Spring Peeper

Eastern Newt

Northern Leopard Frog

Pickerel Frog

Four-toed Salamander

Mink Frog

Animal Events

Moose Viewing Peaks

Elk

Pilot Whale Season

Minke Whale

Fin Whale

Long-finned Pilot Whale

Boreal Warbler Breeding Season

Yellow-rumped Warbler

Magnolia Warbler