Papilio canadensis
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
Papilio canadensis, the Canadian tiger swallowtail, is a species of butterfly in the family Papilionidae. It was once classified as a subspecies of Papilio glaucus. The wingspan of this species is 67 to 80 mm. It is very similar to the eastern tiger swallowtail, but has a noticeably smaller wingspan. Unlike it, the forewing underside, yellow marginal band is continuous. The hindwing has many orange scales on both morphs. This species has also been known to hybridize with both the eastern and western tiger swallowtail, though extremely rarely.
The caterpillar is large and green with an enlarged head. It has four yellow dots and two false eyes with bluish centers. In profile, this caterpillar appears snake-like. The immature larvae are brown and white to mimic bird droppings, making them unappealing to predators.
This butterfly is found in most provinces and territories in Canada, as its name implies. Its range extends north of the Arctic Circle in the Yukon, and to Churchill in Manitoba, Little Shagamu River in Ontario, and to Schefferville in Quebec. It does not occur in southern British Columbia, being replaced there... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elk Island National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 2 | Kluane National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Isle Royale National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Cape Breton Highlands National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Gros Morne National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | Riding Mountain National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 8 | Voyageurs National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Jasper National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 10 | Banff National Park | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 11 | Acadia National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 12 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 13 | Glacier National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail sighting in Isle Royale National Park on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 48 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Canadian Tiger Swallowtail 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 13 parks where we can rate Canadian Tiger Swallowtail sightings, Isle Royale National Park ranks 3rd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 40%) and Kluane National Park (Canada, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail that you can see in Isle Royale National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Red-Spotted Admiral (about 40%), North American Luna Moth (about 40%) and Northern Azure (about 40%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is recorded against all the insects logged in Isle Royale National Park (29 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.
