Red Admiral
Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
at Fez

In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%

6 Verified sightings at Fez
2,630 In all 52 parks From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Red Admiral

Vanessa atalanta, the red admiral or, previously, the red admirable, is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, red bands, and white spots. It has a wingspan of about 2 inches (5 cm). It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The red admiral is widely distributed across temperate regions of North Africa, North America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. It resides in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring and sometimes again in autumn. Typically found in moist woodlands, the red admiral caterpillar's primary host plant is the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica); it can also be found on the false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica). The adult butterfly drinks from flowering plants like Buddleja and overripe fruit. Red admirals are territorial; females will only mate with males that hold territory. Males with superior flight abilities are more likely to successfully court females. It is known as an unusually calm butterfly, often allowing observation at a very close distance before flying away, also landing on and using humans as perches.

Vanessa atalanta has 2 subspecies, which differ in geographical distribution... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~40%
2 Triglav National Park 🇸🇮 Slovenia
~40%
3 Tatra National Park 🇸🇰 Slovakia
~40%
4 Snowdonia National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
5 Aigüestortes National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
6 Wadden Sea National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~30%
7 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~30%
8 Białowieża National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~30%
9 Bavarian Forest National Park 🇩🇪 Germany
~30%
10 Cairngorms National Park 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~30%
11 Picos de Europa National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~30%
12 Hohe Tauern National Park 🇦🇹 Austria
~30%
13 Congaree National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
14 Biebrza National Park 🇵🇱 Poland
~20%
15 Plitvice Lakes National Park 🇭🇷 Croatia
~20%
16 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
17 Hortobágy National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
18 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
19 Monfragüe National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
20 Pyrénées National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
21 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
22 Fertő-Hanság National Park 🇭🇺 Hungary
~20%
23 Gauja National Park 🇱🇻 Latvia
~20%
24 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
25 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
26 Cévennes National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
27 Channel Islands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
28 Sierra Nevada National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~20%
29 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
30 Mercantour National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
31 Vanoise National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
32 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
33 Ecrins National Park 🇫🇷 France
~20%
34 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
35 Doñana National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
36 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
37 Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
38 Guadalupe Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
39 Sierra de Guadarrama National Park 🇪🇸 Spain
~10%
40 Cumbres de Monterrey National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
41 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
42 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
43 Padre Island National Seashore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
44 Camargue 🇫🇷 France
~10%
45 Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
46 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
47 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
48 Pacific Rim National Park Reserve 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
49 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
50 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
51 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
52 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~40%
2 Fez 🇲🇦 Morocco
~40%
3 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
4 Liverpool 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
5 Casablanca 🇲🇦 Morocco
~40%
6 Manchester 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
~40%
7 Rotterdam [The Hague] 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~30%
8 Amsterdam 🇳🇱 Netherlands
~30%
9 Helsinki 🇫🇮 Finland
~30%
10 Istanbul 🇹🇷 Turkey
~30%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Red Admiral in Fez?

Likely

About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Red Admiral sighting in Fez on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Red Admiral in Fez?

May

In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Red Admiral in Fez on a given day, against about 10% in July, September and December–February, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Red Admiral?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Admiral sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Fez the best place to see a Red Admiral?

Among the best

Of the 91 cities where we can rate Red Admiral sightings, Fez ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Athens (Greece, about 40%).

Where does the Red Admiral sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Red Admiral is recorded against all the insects logged in Fez (6 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.

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