Cordulia shurtleffii
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The American emerald (Cordulia shurtleffii) is a species of dragonfly found in North America. It is colored mostly black with a yellow ring between segments 2 and 3.. The distribution range of this dragonfly includes the northern United States and Canada, with a typical body length ranging from 1.7 to 2.0 inches. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Great Bear Rainforest | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Rocky Mountain National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Emerald sighting in Isle Royale National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 45th most-seen of the 48 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.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Emerald sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate American Emerald sightings, Isle Royale National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 20%) and Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 10%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the American Emerald that you can see in Isle Royale National Park (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Chalk-Fronted Corporal (about 30%), Common Whitetail (about 20%) and Four-Spotted Skimmer (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Emerald is recorded against all the insects logged in Isle Royale National Park (5 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.
