Point Pelee National Park
🇨🇦 Canada
🐦 Warbler Migration at Point PeleePoint Pelee National Park is a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie at the southern tip of Ontario, Canada. It sits at the meeting point of temperate forest, marsh and shoreline, creating a mosaic of hardwood woods, cattail marshes and sandy beaches. The park’s location on a major flyway makes it a hotspot for migrating birds.
41.971° N 82.518° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
★ 
Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
★ 
Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
★ 
Blanding's Turtle
Emys blandingii
📊 Most Spotted
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
📊 Most Spotted
American Beaver
Castor canadensis
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
Muskrat
Ondatra zibethicus
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
Eastern Red Bat
Lasiurus borealis
Tricolored Bat
Perimyotis subflavus
Stoat
Mustela erminea
Eastern Mole
Scalopus aquaticus
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Yellow Warbler
Setophaga petechia
★ Prothonotary Warbler
Protonotaria citrea
★ Baltimore Oriole
Icterus galbula
📊 Most Spotted
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
Common Grackle
Quiscalus quiscula
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Tree Swallow
Tachycineta bicolor
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
Double-crested Cormorant
Phalacrocorax auritus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
Common Watersnake
Nerodia sipedon
Snapping Turtle
Chelydra serpentina
Northern Map Turtle
Graptemys geographica
DeKay's Brownsnake
Storeria dekayi
Common Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon fasciatus
Eastern Foxsnake
Pantherophis vulpinus
North American Racer
Coluber constrictor
Common Musk Turtle
Sternotherus odoratus
Spiny Softshell Turtle
Apalone spinifera
📊 Most Spotted
Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
Northern Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Eastern Newt
Notophthalmus viridescens
Spring Peeper
Pseudacris crucifer
Small-mouthed Salamander
Ambystoma texanum
Unisexual Mole Salamander Complex
Ambystoma unisexual
Blue-spotted Salamander
Ambystoma laterale
Recent sightings in Point Pelee National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Spring Warbler Migration
Waves of 20-30 warbler species plus tanagers and orioles funnel into the Lake Erie peninsula during the first three weeks of — North America's most famous songbird migration spectacle.
2Songbird & Raptor Migration
Southbound migration down the peninsula: large Blue Jay flights, mixed warbler waves and passing hawks concentrate at the Tip from .
3Turtle Nesting Season
Parks Canada has protected hundreds of nests since 2001, including those of the threatened Blanding's Turtle.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Spring Warbler Migration
- 2Songbird & Raptor Migration
- 3Turtle Nesting Season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Upon arrival, we were immediately welcomed by a rich chorus of songbirds—Baltimore Oriole, Northern Cardinal, Gray Catbird, and Warbling Vireo were all heard singing.
We went for lunch after that (more cold cut sandwiches, salad and desserts at the picnic tables beside the bus) and I found out that our group had again missed some good birds that morning – a Cerulean Warbler, American Pipit, American Woodcock, some Sanderlings and Black-bellied Plover.
A sample of the wildlife I saw: And the rare Prothonotary Warbler, in this case, a male/female pair tending to their nest.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Point Pelee National Park?
The most likely sightings are Red-winged Blackbird (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), American Robin (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Northern Cardinal (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Common Grackle (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Blue Jay (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers) — among 596 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Point Pelee 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 Yellow Warbler in Point Pelee National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Yellow Warbler sighting in Point Pelee National Park, based on 19,627 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Prothonotary Warbler in Point Pelee National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Prothonotary Warbler sighting in Point Pelee National Park, based on 5,771 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Baltimore Oriole in Point Pelee National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Baltimore Oriole sighting in Point Pelee National Park, based on 16,850 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Blanding's Turtle in Point Pelee National Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blanding's Turtle sighting in Point Pelee National Park, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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