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American Black Bear
Ursus americanus
Silhouette: Tracy A. Heath · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassMammalia (Mammals)
- OrderCarnivora (Carnivorans)
- FamilyUrsidae (Bears)
- GenusUrsus (Holarctic Bears)
- SpeciesUrsus americanus (American Black Bear)
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
140 Verified sightings at Redwood National Park From 2019 to 2026
8,596 In all 31 parks
June Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted
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About the American Black Bear
The American black bear (Ursus americanus), or simply black bear, is a species of medium-sized bear which is endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. It is an omnivore, with a diet varying greatly depending on season and location. It primarily inhabits forested regions, but may venture beyond forest boundaries in search of food. Individuals are occasionally drawn to human settlements due to the availability of easily accessible food sources.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American black bear as a least-concern species because of its widespread distribution and a large population, estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the brown bear (Ursus arctos), it is one of the two modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.
The American black bear is not closely related to the brown bear or polar bear, though all three species are found in North America; genetic studies reveal that they split from a common ancestor 5.05 million years ago (mya). American and Asian black bears are considered sister taxa and are... Wikipedia →
Sounds
Recording0:08
United States · 2025
© Carl D. Martland · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:15
2026
© jenkinst · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:19
United States · 2026
© moczzz · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recent sightings of American Black Bear in Redwood National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anchorage | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Orlando | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | Washington | 🇺🇸 United States |
Zoos & Centres Where Found
Closest Relatives at Redwood National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing an American Black Bear in Redwood National Park?
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report an American Black Bear sighting in Redwood National Park on a given day, based on 140 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 5th most-seen of the 23 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see an American Black Bear in Redwood National Park?
June–July and December
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report an American Black Bear in Redwood National Park on a given day, against about 20% in January, the lowest month.
What time of day is best to see an American Black Bear?
Between 1 and 4 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most American Black Bear sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.
Is Redwood National Park the best place to see an American Black Bear?
16th of 31
Of the 31 parks where we can rate American Black Bear sightings, Redwood National Park ranks 16th at about 40%. The best odds are in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (United States, about 80%), Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (United States, about 80%) and Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada, about 80%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the American Black Bear live in Redwood National Park?
Same order: Carnivora
The closest relatives of the American Black Bear that you can see in Redwood National Park (order Carnivora, Carnivorans) are California Sea Lion (about 50%), Harbor Seal (about 50%) and Northern River Otter (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the American Black Bear sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the American Black Bear is recorded against all the mammals logged in Redwood National Park (140 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.
