Common Checkered-Skipper

Common Checkered-Skipper

Burnsius communis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Glacier National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

12 Verified sightings at Glacier National Park From 2019 to 2026
103 In all 7 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Checkered-Skipper

Burnsius communis, the common checkered-skipper, formerly known as Pyrgus communis, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is known as the frequently seen Pyrginae species in the northern United States by collectors and watchers alike. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Point Pelee National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Denver 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
3 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Sacramento 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Salt Lake City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 San Luis Potosí 🇲🇽 México
~10%
7 Dallas 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Mexico City 🇲🇽 México
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Checkered-Skipper in Glacier National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Checkered-Skipper sighting in Glacier National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 79th most-seen of the 147 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Checkered-Skipper in Glacier National Park?

June and July

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Checkered-Skipper in Glacier National Park on a given day, against under 5% in August to May, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Checkered-Skipper?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Checkered-Skipper 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 Glacier National Park the best place to see a Common Checkered-Skipper?

3rd of 7

Of the 7 parks where we can rate Common Checkered-Skipper sightings, Glacier National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Badlands National Park (United States, about 20%) and Point Pelee National Park (Canada, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Common Checkered-Skipper live in Glacier National Park?

Same family: Hesperiidae

The closest relatives of the Common Checkered-Skipper that you can see in Glacier National Park (family Hesperiidae, Skippers) are Essex Skipper (about 10%), Western Arctic Skipper (about 10%) and Woodland Skipper (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Checkered-Skipper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Checkered-Skipper is recorded against all the insects logged in Glacier National Park (12 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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