Common Ringlet

Common Ringlet

Coenonympha california

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

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%

8 Verified sightings at Gros Morne National Park From 2019 to 2026
309 In all 11 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Ringlet

Coenonympha california, also known as the California ringlet or common ringlet, is a species of butterfly native to North America. Although it has previously been considered a subspecies of Coenonympha tullia, genetic testing suggests it is a separate species.

Extreme phenotypic variation across several geographic ranges and subspecies populations characterizes Coenonympha california's wing shape. The wings' dorsal ground color varies, ranging from mild ochre, deep orange-ochre, yellow, and pale/white. An inconsistent presentation of submarginal eyespots, called ocelli, on the ventral hind wings closely correspond with this variation. Some butterflies can have many well-developed, dark ocelli within a single location, or they can have none at all. Additionally, the species exhibits localized intergradation, where characteristics like eyespot count and ground color create wide, continuous geographic clines instead of distinct morphological boundaries between nominal subspecies.

Coenonympha california contains the following subspecies: Coenonympha california mcisaaci Coenonympha california galactinus Coenonympha california benjamini Coenonympha... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Acadia National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~20%
2 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~20%
3 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Gros Morne National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Yosemite National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
6 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
7 Redwood National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
8 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
9 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
10 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
11 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Calgary 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
2 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
3 Edmonton 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
4 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
~10%
5 Detroit 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 San Francisco 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
8 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Portland 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 San Diego 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Ringlet in Gros Morne National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Ringlet sighting in Gros Morne National Park on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 41st most-seen of the 83 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Ringlet in Gros Morne National Park?

June and July

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Ringlet in Gros Morne 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 Ringlet?

Between 11 am and 2 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Ringlet 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 Gros Morne National Park the best place to see a Common Ringlet?

4th of 11

Of the 11 parks where we can rate Common Ringlet sightings, Gros Morne National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Acadia National Park (United States, about 20%), Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 20%) and Rocky Mountain National Park (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Common Ringlet live in Gros Morne National Park?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Common Ringlet that you can see in Gros Morne National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Milbert's Tortoiseshell (about 30%), Red Admiral (about 20%) and Pearl Crescent (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Ringlet sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Ringlet is recorded against all the insects logged in Gros Morne National Park (8 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.

← Back to Gros Morne National Park