Common Wood-Nymph

Common Wood-Nymph

Cercyonis pegala

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Elk Island National Park

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

21 Verified sightings at Elk Island National Park From 2019 to 2026
216 In all 11 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Wood-Nymph

The common wood-nymph (Cercyonis pegala) is a North American species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is also known as the wood-nymph, grayling, blue-eyed grayling, and the goggle eye. All individuals are brown with two eyespots on each forewing – the lower one often being larger than the upper one. Some may have many, few, or no eyespots on the ventral surface of the hindwing. In the southeastern part of its range, it has a large yellow... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
2 Isle Royale National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
11 Olympic National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
5 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
10 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Wood-Nymph in Elk Island National Park?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Wood-Nymph sighting in Elk Island National Park on a given day, based on 21 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 25th most-seen of the 112 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Wood-Nymph in Elk Island National Park?

July

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Wood-Nymph in Elk Island National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to June, the lowest months. That is one of Elk Island National Park's wettest months, with about 110 mm of rain against 20 mm in December.

What time of day is best to see a Common Wood-Nymph?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Wood-Nymph 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 Elk Island National Park the best place to see a Common Wood-Nymph?

Yes

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Common Wood-Nymph sightings, Elk Island National Park has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 20%) and Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Common Wood-Nymph live in Elk Island National Park?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Common Wood-Nymph that you can see in Elk Island National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Pearl Crescent (about 40%), Red-Spotted Admiral (about 40%) and Milbert's Tortoiseshell (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Wood-Nymph sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Wood-Nymph is recorded against all the insects logged in Elk Island National Park (21 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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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