Grand Canyon National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🦅 California Condors Over the CanyonGrand Canyon National Park is a protected desert and dry scrub landscape set across the high Colorado Plateau in the United States. Visitors walk along arid rim trails flanked by scattered pinyon pine, juniper, and sparse shrubs that cling to dramatic rock walls. The park is famous for its immense, steep-sided gorge carved by the Colorado River.
36.182° N 112.161° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
California Condor
Gymnogyps californianus
★ Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
★ 
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
★ 
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
📊 Most Spotted
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Rock Squirrel
Otospermophilus variegatus
Plateau Fence Lizard
Sceloporus tristichus
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Cliff Chipmunk
Tamias dorsalis
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Elk (wapiti)
Cervus canadensis
★ Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
★ Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
📊 Most Spotted
Rock Squirrel
Otospermophilus variegatus
Cliff Chipmunk
Tamias dorsalis
Abert's Squirrel
Sciurus aberti
American Bison
Bison bison
Uinta Chipmunk
Tamias umbrinus
Coyote
Canis latrans
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus leucurus
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
American Red Squirrel
Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel
Callospermophilus lateralis
Collared Peccary
Pecari tajacu
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma woodhouseii
Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
White-throated Swift
Aeronautes saxatalis
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
Juniper Titmouse
Baeolophus ridgwayi
📊 Most Spotted
Plateau Fence Lizard
Sceloporus tristichus
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
Greater Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma hernandesi
Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Western Rattlesnake
Crotalus oreganus
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Desert Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
Eastern Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus collaris
📊 Most Spotted
Canyon Tree Frog
Dryophytes arenicolor
Red-spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
Western Tiger Salamander
Ambystoma mavortium
Great Basin Spadefoot
Spea intermontana
Relict Leopard Frog
Lithobates onca
Northern Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
Arizona Toad
Anaxyrus microscaphus
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
Recent sightings in Grand Canyon National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1California Condor Soaring Season
they roost on outcrops below Grand Canyon Village and soar along both rims by day.
2Elk Rut
Bull elk bugle and compete for harems around the South Rim and Grand Canyon Village each autumn — the rut peaks in .
3Bighorn and Mule Deer Rut
Desert bighorn rams head-butt for dominance during the fall rut on canyon slopes, while mule deer bucks spar in the rim forests — both species' documented peak visibility months.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1California Condor Soaring Season
- 2Elk Rut
- 3Bighorn and Mule Deer Rut
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Oddly, we saw neither of the more common North American nuthatches (White and Red-breasted) on this trip; both are found on the Grand Canyon South Rim (says eBird) and elsewhere in California, too.
I spotted a few squirrels hiding behind tree branches, but I don’t believe any were of the Kaibab variety, even though I hiked the North Kaibab Trail.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Grand Canyon National Park?
The most likely sightings are Common Raven (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Elk (wapiti) (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Rock Squirrel (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Plateau Fence Lizard (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Mule Deer (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 699 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Grand Canyon National Park for wildlife?
September 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 California Condor in Grand Canyon National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a California Condor sighting in Grand Canyon National Park, based on 2,332 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Elk (wapiti) in Grand Canyon National Park?
Yes — about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Elk (wapiti) sighting in Grand Canyon National Park, based on 1,589 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Bighorn Sheep in Grand Canyon National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Bighorn Sheep sighting in Grand Canyon National Park, based on 507 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mule Deer in Grand Canyon National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Mule Deer sighting in Grand Canyon National Park, based on 545 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
