Cordulia shurtleffii
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%
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 Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, based on 29 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 81st most-seen of the 191 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June to August
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an American Emerald in Rocky Mountain National Park on a given day, against under 5% in September to May, the lowest months.
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.
7th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate American Emerald sightings, Rocky Mountain National Park ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in Riding Mountain National Park (Canada, about 20%), Elk Island National Park (Canada, about 10%) and Isle Royale National Park (United States, about 10%).
Same order: Odonata
The closest relatives of the American Emerald that you can see in Rocky Mountain National Park (order Odonata, Dragonflies and Damselflies) are Paddle-Tailed Darner (about 10%), Four-Spotted Skimmer (about 10%) and Cherry-Faced Meadowhawk (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 Rocky Mountain 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.
