Sympetrum costiferum
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
Sympetrum costiferum, the saffron-winged meadowhawk, is a dragonfly of the genus Sympetrum. It is found across northern and central United States and most of Canada, including a southern portion of the Northwest Territories.
Its abdomen is yellowish-brown, turning pale red at maturity in both sexes. Juveniles and females have gold (saffron) coloured wing stripes. Veins of males and females are reddish or orange. The sides of the abdomen are marked with black triangles. Some females have amber in basal areas of their wings. Legs are striped in black and yellow or red. Size: 35 mm (1.4 in). This species overlaps with and is difficult to distinguish from both the ruby and white-faced meadowhawks. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Grand Teton National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Yellowstone National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk sighting in Grand Teton National Park on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 86th most-seen of the 140 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.
September
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk in Grand Teton National Park on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk 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 3 parks where we can rate Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk sightings, Grand Teton National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 10%).
Same genus: Sympetrum
The closest relatives of the Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk that you can see in Grand Teton National Park (genus Sympetrum, Meadowhawks) are Black Meadowhawk (about 10%) and Striped Meadowhawk (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Saffron-Winged Meadowhawk is recorded against all the insects logged in Grand Teton 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.
