Cévennes National Park
🇫🇷 France
🦅 Griffon Vultures Over the GorgesCévennes National Park lies in the heart of south‑central France, straddling the Massif Central and the Mediterranean foothills. Its rugged limestone ridges, deep valleys and patches of Mediterranean scrub create a mosaic of oak, pine and rocky outcrops that feels distinct from the neighboring Atlantic‑influenced reserves.
44.245° N 3.666° E
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Griffon Vulture
Gyps fulvus
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Western Roe Deer
Capreolus capreolus
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Common Wall Lizard
Podarcis muralis
📊 Most Spotted
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Great Tit
Parus major
Western Green Lizard
Lacerta bilineata
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapilla
Giant Toad
Bufo spinosus
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
Viperine Snake
Natrix maura
Fire Salamander
Salamandra salamandra
Wood Pigeon
Columba palumbus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
Eurasian Beaver
Castor fiber
Takhi
Equus przewalskii
Northern Small-spotted Genet
Genetta genetta
European Badger
Meles meles
Eurasian Otter
Lutra lutra
Stone Marten
Martes foina
Lesser Horseshoe Bat
Rhinolophus hipposideros
Red Deer
Cervus elaphus
Eurasian Red Squirrel
Sciurus vulgaris
Coypu
Myocastor coypus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Chaffinch
Fringilla coelebs
Great Tit
Parus major
Eurasian Blackbird
Turdus merula
Carrion Crow
Corvus corone
European Robin
Erithacus rubecula
Blackcap
Sylvia atricapilla
Blue Tit
Cyanistes caeruleus
Wood Pigeon
Columba palumbus
Black Redstart
Phoenicurus ochruros
Eurasian Jay
Garrulus glandarius
Eurasian Crag Martin
Ptyonoprogne rupestris
Common Swift
Apus apus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Western Green Lizard
Lacerta bilineata
Viperine Snake
Natrix maura
Catalonian Wall Lizard
Podarcis liolepis
Slow Worm
Anguis fragilis
Moorish Gecko
Tarentola mauritanica
Aesculapian Snake
Zamenis longissimus
Montpellier Snake
Malpolon monspessulanus
Ocellated Lizard
Timon lepidus
barred grass snake
Natrix helvetica
Green Whip Snake
Hierophis viridiflavus
Asp Viper
Vipera aspis
Southern Smooth Snake
Coronella girondica
📊 Most Spotted
Giant Toad
Bufo spinosus
Fire Salamander
Salamandra salamandra
European Common Frog
Rana temporaria
Mediterranean Tree Frog
Hyla meridionalis
Palmate Newt
Lissotriton helveticus
Common Midwife Toad
Alytes obstetricans
Common Parsley Frog
Pelodytes punctatus
Natterjack Toad
Epidalea calamita
Iberian Spadefoot Toad
Pelobates cultripes
Marsh Frog
Pelophylax ridibundus
Marbled Newt
Triturus marmoratus
Alpine Newt
Ichthyosaura alpestris
Recent sightings in Cévennes National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Griffon Vulture Nesting Season
Thousands of Griffon Vultures gather to nest and rear chicks on rocky cliffs, creating dramatic aerial displays and communal roosts visible from key viewpoints.
2Fire Salamander Breeding
After rains, Fire Salamanders emerge to breed in clear, cold streams, their striking black-and-yellow patterns visible along forest paths and watercourses.
3Autumn Bat Migration
Bats such as Lesser Horseshoe and Common Pipistrelle migrate and forage intensively before hibernation, with echolocation calls audible at dusk and swarms of insects attracting night hunters.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Griffon Vulture Nesting Season
- 2Fire Salamander Breeding
- 3Autumn Bat Migration
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
From the parking lots north of the Maison des Vautours (44°11'50.9"N 3°14'52.2"E – free and almost as good as the paid viewpoint) we quickly found 25 Crag Martins, 10 Alpine Swifts, 30 Red-Billed Choughs, many Griffon Vultures, and 2 Cinereous Vultures.
We spotted vultures circling overhead and enjoyed the dramatic drops and peaceful plateaus.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Cévennes National Park?
The most likely sightings are Chaffinch (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Common Wall Lizard (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Great Tit (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Western Green Lizard (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Eurasian Blackbird (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 515 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Cévennes National Park for wildlife?
May has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Griffon Vulture in Cévennes National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Griffon Vulture sighting in Cévennes National Park, based on 922 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Western Roe Deer in Cévennes National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Western Roe Deer sighting in Cévennes National Park, based on 78 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Common Wall Lizard in Cévennes National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Wall Lizard sighting in Cévennes National Park, based on 429 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
