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 Toronto on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 503rd most-seen of the 1689 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.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Amber Bumble Bee in Toronto on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
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, Toronto ranks 5th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Calgary (Canada, under 5%), Edmonton (Canada, under 5%) and Minneapolis [Saint Paul] (United States, under 5%).
Same genus: Bombus
The closest relatives of the Northern Amber Bumble Bee that you can see in Toronto (genus Bombus, Bumble Bees) are Common Eastern Bumble Bee (about 30%), Brown-Belted Bumble Bee (about 20%) and Red-Belted 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 Toronto (34 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.
