FIELD DISPATCH
Notes from the wild. Data, stories, and dispatches from the WildMap community.
Animals That Live in Kentucky: Native Wildlife, Appalachian Elk & Daniel Boone Wilderness Corridors
From 10,000+ wild Appalachian elk roaming reclaimed mountaintops and black bears recolonizing Daniel Boone National Forest to wintering bald eagles at Land Between the Lakes and subterranean karst ecosystems in Mammoth Cave, discover the native animals that live in Kentucky.
Animals That Live in California: Native Wildlife, Sierra Nevada & Pacific Coastal Corridors
Comprehensive field guide to animals that live in California. Explore native CA wildlife: sea otters, California condors, gray whales, mountain lions, Sierra bighorn sheep, and real-time wildlife sighting maps.
Animals That Live in British Columbia: Native Wildlife, Great Bear Rainforest & Coastal Corridors
From pods of orcas and coastal sea wolves in the Great Bear Rainforest to grizzlies, mountain goats, and winter eagle congregations, British Columbia is North America's premier wildlife sanctuary. Here is the definitive field guide to the native animals that live in BC.
Ontario Winter Wildlife & Moose Tracking Guide: Algonquin Corridors, Gray Wolves & Northern Dead Zones
As late autumn frosts freeze the Canadian Shield, Ontario transforms into North America's premier winter tracking territory. Discover where to track bull moose along Algonquin's snow corridors, spot winter wolf packs in the boreal wilderness, and watch Arctic snowy owls—and how to track recent winter sightings with WildMap.
Death Valley & Mojave Desert Winter Wildlife Guide: Desert Bighorn Rut, Kit Foxes & Extreme Dead Zones
When late autumn sweeps across the Mojave, blistering summer heat gives way to crisp 70°F days and triggers prime desert wildlife spectacles. Discover where to watch clashing desert bighorn rams, nocturnal kit foxes, and greater roadrunners across Death Valley—and how to track recent desert sightings with WildMap.
Vancouver Island Storm Watching & Pacific Rim Wildlife Guide: Orcas, Sea Otters & Rainforest Dead Zones
Every November, towering Pacific storm swells slam into Vancouver Island's wild western coast. Discover premier wildlife watching across Tofino, Ucluelet, and Pacific Rim National Park—from hunting Bigg's orcas and rafting sea otters to coastal sea wolves—and how to track recent coastal sightings with WildMap.
Hawaii Winter Whale Watching & Marine Wildlife Guide: Humpbacks, Monk Seals & Turtles in Maui, Oahu & Kauai
Every November, over 10,000 North Pacific humpback whales return to the warm nursery waters of Hawaii. Discover top shore and boat viewing zones across the Auʻau Channel, Kaʻena Point, and Kīlauea Point—and how to track recent marine sightings with WildMap.
Bighorn Sheep Rut Guide: Where to Watch Head-Butting Ram Clashes in Colorado, Wyoming & the Canadian Rockies
Every November, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep engage in North America’s most concussive mating spectacle: the head-butting rut. Discover the top viewing canyons in Georgetown, Jackson Hole, and Radium Hot Springs—and how to track recent sightings across mountain corridors with WildMap.
Skagit Valley Wildlife Guide: Thousands of Snow Geese, River Eagles & North Cascades Dead Zones
Every November, the Skagit Valley of Washington hosts two of North America’s greatest wildlife spectacles: 75,000 Siberian snow geese carpeting Fir Island and hundreds of bald eagles feasting on the Upper Skagit chum salmon run.
Florida Springs Manatee Season Guide: Crystal River, Blue Spring & Kayak Dead Zones
November marks the official kickoff of Florida's winter manatee season. As ocean waters plunge, hundreds of gentle sea cows congregate in the crystal-clear 72°F freshwater springs of Crystal River, Blue Spring, and Homosassa. Here is your definitive field guide.
Zion National Park Fall Wildlife Guide: Desert Bighorn Rut, Condors & Slickrock Dead Zones
Late autumn is prime wildlife watching across Zion National Park and Southwest Utah. Witness Desert Bighorn rams clashing on East Zion slickrock, endangered California Condors soaring over Angels Landing, and mule deer along the Virgin River.
Point Reyes Fall Wildlife Guide: Tule Elk Rut, Elephant Seals & Coastal Dead Zones
Late autumn is prime wildlife watching at Point Reyes National Seashore. Witness bugling Tule elk bulls on Tomales Point bluffs, the arrival of massive northern elephant seals at Chimney Rock, and migrating gray whales off the headlands.
Algonquin Park & Ontario Fall Wildlife Guide: Moose, Wolves & Boreal Birding
Highway 60 through Algonquin Provincial Park is Eastern North America's premier corridor for spotting bull moose, Eastern wolves, and rare boreal winter finches in late autumn. Here is your complete Ontario wildlife field guide.
Grand Canyon Fall Wildlife Guide: Desert Bighorn, California Condors & Rim-to-Rim Sightings
Every October, cooling autumn temperatures open up prime wildlife viewing across Grand Canyon National Park. From Desert Bighorn navigating sheer cliff walls to soaring California Condors and desert javelinas, here is your definitive canyon field guide.
Jasper National Park Fall Wildlife Guide: Bighorn Sheep Rut, Wolves & Maligne Valley
Every October, early snow blankets the high peaks of the Canadian Rockies, driving bighorn sheep, grizzly bears, and wolf packs into the Athabasca and Maligne valleys. Here is your definitive field guide to autumn wildlife in Jasper National Park.
Acadia National Park Fall Wildlife Guide: Cadillac Mountain Hawkwatch, Moose & Coastal Whales
Every October, fiery autumn foliage collides with peak coastal wildlife in Acadia National Park. From Cadillac Mountain's legendary hawkwatch to offshore whale migrations, harbor seal haul-outs, and north woods moose, here is your definitive field guide.
Bosque del Apache Sandhill Crane Migration: The Ultimate New Mexico Field Guide
Every autumn, over 10,000 sandhill cranes and 40,000 snow geese descend upon the Rio Grande floodplain at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Here is your definitive field guide to witnessing the legendary sunrise blastoff and desert wildlife.
Cape May Fall Hawkwatch: The Ultimate Raptor Migration Field Guide
Every October, tens of thousands of migrating raptors, songbirds, and monarch butterflies converge at the southern tip of New Jersey for North America’s most legendary migration bottleneck. Here is your definitive field guide to tracking peregrine falcons, merlins, and eagles at the Cape May Hawkwatch.
Aransas Whooping Crane Season: The Texas Coastal Bend Wildlife Guide
Every autumn, the world's only wild flock of endangered Whooping Cranes completes an epic 2,500-mile migration from subarctic Canada to the coastal salt marshes of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas. Here is your definitive field guide to spotting North America's tallest birds and Gulf Coast wildlife.
Rocky Mountain Fall Elk Rut: The Estes Park & Moraine Park Field Guide
Every autumn, thousands of Rocky Mountain elk descend from alpine tundra into Moraine Park, Horseshoe Park, and the town of Estes Park for their annual breeding rut. Here is your definitive field guide to tracking sparring bulls, bugling harems, and Shiras moose across Rocky Mountain National Park.
Chilkat Bald Eagle Gathering: The Ultimate Haines Alaska Field Guide
Every autumn, over 3,000 bald eagles converge along the glacier-fed Chilkat River in southeastern Alaska for the largest gathering of raptors on Earth. Here is your definitive field guide to witnessing the legendary Council of the Eagles.
Olympic National Park Fall Wildlife Guide: Salmon Cascades & Hoh Rainforest Elk
Every October, wild coho salmon leap up the roaring Sol Duc River waterfalls while colossal Roosevelt elk bugle beneath moss-draped old growth trees in the Hoh Rain Forest. Here is your definitive field guide to tracking autumn wildlife across Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
Everglades Wildlife Guide: Where to Spot Alligators, Manatees & Spoonbills
From the sawgrass prairies of Shark Valley to the mangrove channels of Flamingo, Everglades National Park is North America’s greatest subtropical wilderness. Here is your ultimate field guide to spotting American alligators, manatees, roseate spoonbills, and rare wading birds in the wild.
Monterey Bay Fall Whale Watching Guide: Where to Spot Humpbacks, Blue Whales & Otters
October is prime whale season in Monterey Bay. Massive pods of feeding humpbacks, elusive blue whales, killer whales, and playful southern sea otters converge along the Monterey Submarine Canyon. Here is your definitive field guide to tracking marine megafauna on California's central coast.
Smoky Mountains Fall Wildlife Guide: Cades Cove Bears & Cataloochee Elk Rut
October in the Great Smoky Mountains brings vibrant autumn hardwoods and prime wildlife tracking. Here is your definitive field guide to finding foraging black bears in Cades Cove and bugling elk in Cataloochee Valley.
Churchill Polar Bear Season: Where, When & How to Spot Bears in Manitoba
Every October and November, hundreds of polar bears converge on the shores of Churchill, Manitoba, waiting for Hudson Bay to freeze. Here is your definitive field guide to tracking bears on the subarctic tundra.
Banff & Canadian Rockies Wildlife Guide: Where to Spot Bears, Bighorn Sheep & Elk This Fall
Fall in the Canadian Rockies brings golden larch needles, crisp mountain air, and prime wildlife tracking conditions. Here are the top corridors in Banff, Jasper, and Kananaskis to spot grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, and bull elk.
Fall Wildlife Guide: Where to See Moose, Elk & Bears in Grand Teton & Yellowstone
October is prime rutting and hyperphagia season across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Here are the exact drainages, river valleys, and peak hours to spot bull moose, bugling elk, and foraging grizzlies.
Best Wildlife Spotting Apps for Tracking Recent Animal Sightings
The best wildlife spotting apps do more than show species lists — they tell you what was seen nearby, how recently, and whether it's worth heading out right now.
How to Find Wildlife Near You: A Practical Guide to Real-Time Animal Sightings
The difference between a good wildlife outing and a great one usually comes down to planning. Here's how to use real-time sighting data to find animals near you before you leave the house.
Looking for an iNaturalist Alternative? Here's How WildMap Compares
iNaturalist is extraordinary science infrastructure. But if you need a fast, radar-first tool for finding wildlife near you right now, WildMap fills a different gap.
The Endangered List, 10 Species on the Brink and Where the Radar Is Finding Them
I was looking at the new Endangered filter on the map this morning, and it's a heavy list. Here is where these rare species are still being found.
iNaturalist Is Incredible, It's Also Kind of Frustrating to Use When You're Actually Outside.
I think iNaturalist is one of the most impressive things on the internet, but it's just a lot of taps to get the answers you need in the field.
We Mapped 30 Days of Bird Sightings in Vancouver, The Best Spot Isn't Stanley Park
We ran a radar scan centred on Vancouver for the last 30 days. The cluster that shows up most isn't where you'd expect.