Bombus borealis
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Bombus borealis is a species of bumblebee known commonly as the northern amber bumblebee. It is native to northern North America, where it occurs across Canada and Alaska and the northern and eastern contiguous United States.
The queen is 1.8 to 2.2 centimeters long. It has yellow hairs on the body and pale to white hairs on the head. The worker is similar in coloration and measures 1.3 centimeters in length. The male is 1.4 to 1.7 centimeters long.
This species is generally found in woodland habitat. It usually nests underground, and males congregate nearby to seek mates. This species feeds on several plant taxa, including milkvetches, thistles, wild blackberries, goldenrods, comfrey, clovers, and vetches. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 4 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calgary | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Edmonton | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Amber Bumble Bee sighting in Edmonton on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 182nd most-seen of the 390 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and August–September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Amber Bumble Bee in Edmonton on a given day, against under 5% in July and October–May, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Amber Bumble Bee sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 5 cities where we can rate Northern Amber Bumble Bee sightings, Edmonton ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Calgary (Canada, under 5%).
Same genus: Bombus
The closest relatives of the Northern Amber Bumble Bee that you can see in Edmonton (genus Bombus, Bumble Bees) are Red-Belted Bumble Bee (about 20%), Perplexing Bumble Bee (about 20%) and Tricolored Bumble Bee (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Amber Bumble Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Edmonton (13 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
