All 3 in 3 days here: ~80%
Ecrins National Park
🇫🇷 France
Western Europe, France 427 spp. recorded
Écrins is a protected mountain sanctuary in the French Alps, defined by steep granite ridges, deep glacial valleys, and dense temperate conifer forests. Visitors hike along rocky alpine trails and pine-scented tracks beneath towering rock walls.
44.897° N 6.359° E
🦜 Nature
158 Species sighted
4,106 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jul Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
+ 322 more species with insufficient data
Challenges you can complete here
All 5 in 3 days here: ~30%
All 3 in 3 days here: ~10%
Recent sightings in Ecrins National Park
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
22Jan
21Feb
23Mar
28Apr
41May
51Jun
57Jul
50Aug
39Sep
34Oct
16Nov
13Dec
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Col du Lautaret
🏕️ Experience
Essentials
Entrance
Free
Tourism
High
Typical stay
1–2
daysTrails
Hard
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Moderate
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.1
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 290
🐒 Mammals 100
🦎 Reptiles 24
🐸 Amphibians 13
427 Total Species
828 Global average across 316 parks
18 Threatened 59 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
2.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
56% 📊
Coverage (123 species at ≥5% of 427 in the inventory)
29% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 3 mammal, 1 reptile, 1 amphibian)
78% 🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
76 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
5 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
18 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
2.8
Climate Harsh Low
Entrance Free High
Tourism High Low
Trails Hard Low
World Heritage No —
What visitors say
Ignoring the fact that we mistook said birds for eagles, when in fact they were vultures (I even told Instagram that I’d seen eagles, can you imagine?
We have found the one and only possible explanation: marmots labor.
We saw a Eurasian Jay and an Anguis fragillis (slow worm or legless lizard).
The light was magnificent, with the Écrins mountains right in front of us: one of the highlights of the trek.
Before you go
What animals can you see in Ecrins National Park?
427 species
Ecrins National Park has 427 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Chaffinch (about 80%), Alpine Marmot (about 80%), Eurasian Goldfinch (about 60%), Coal Tit (about 60%) and Eurasian Blackbird (about 50%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Common Wall Lizard (about 50%); among amphibians, European Common Frog (about 50%).
When is the best time to visit Ecrins National Park for wildlife?
May–June and August
In those months the park's 12 most-seen species average about 60% on a given day, against about 30% in March.
Can you see an Alpine Marmot in Ecrins National Park?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report an Alpine Marmot sighting in Ecrins National Park on a given day, based on 242 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June to September (about 80%).
Can you see a Griffon Vulture in Ecrins National Park?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Griffon Vulture sighting in Ecrins National Park on a given day, based on 108 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July (about 50%).
Can you see an Alpine Ibex in Ecrins National Park?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report an Alpine Ibex sighting in Ecrins National Park on a given day, based on 93 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February (about 80%).
Can you see a Common Raven in Ecrins National Park?
Yes
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Raven sighting in Ecrins National Park on a given day, based on 50 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May and July (about 40%).
Where in Ecrins National Park is wildlife easiest to see?
Around Maison de la montagne
The richest sighting zone is around Maison de la montagne, followed by Col du Lautaret and Office de tourisme, ranked by how many of the park's headline animals visitors can expect to see in each. See the zones on the map.
Is Ecrins National Park good for wildlife watching?
2.9 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, Ecrins National Park rates 2.9/5: 297th of 316 parks worldwide and 23rd in Europe. 23 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
