Papilio canadensis
In 3 days ~60% 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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail sighting in Riding Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 58 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 104 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail in Riding Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to April, the lowest months. That is one of Riding Mountain National Park's wettest months, with about 100 mm of rain against 20 mm in February.
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.
7th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Canadian Tiger Swallowtail sightings, Riding Mountain National Park ranks 7th at about 30%. The best odds are in Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 40%), Kluane National Park (Canada, about 40%) and Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 40%). All parks ranked.
Same order: Lepidoptera
The closest relatives of the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail that you can see in Riding Mountain National Park (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Red-Spotted Admiral (about 30%), Monarch (about 30%) and Milbert's Tortoiseshell (about 20%), 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 Riding Mountain National Park (58 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.
