Big Bend National Park

🇺🇸 United States

🐦 Roadrunners in the Chihuahuan Desert
🌍 #203 Global · 3.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #32 in North America #14 in Desert & Scrub
Chihuahuan Desert, United States 784 spp. recorded

Big Bend National Park sits in the Chihuahuan Desert of western Texas, United States. The landscape is a mix of rugged canyons, river‑cut valleys and stretches of dry scrub dotted with mesquite and cactus. Its isolation and stark relief set it apart from more vegetated parks.

29.226° N   103.234° W

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

American Black Bear ★
LC Endemic

American Black Bear

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Ursus americanus

40–50% · Likely
Collared Peccary ★
Endemic

Collared Peccary

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Pecari tajacu

40–50% · Likely
Greater Roadrunner ★
LC

Greater Roadrunner

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geococcyx californianus

50–60% · Likely
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake ★
LC Endemic

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Crotalus atrox

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

White-winged Dove
LC

White-winged Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zenaida asiatica

70–80% · Very likely
Northern Mockingbird
LC

Northern Mockingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mimus polyglottos

60–70% · Likely
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

60–70% · Likely
Common Raven
LC

Common Raven

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus corax

60–70% · Likely
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
LC

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryobates scalaris

60–70% · Likely
House Finch
LC Endemic

House Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haemorhous mexicanus

60–70% · Likely
Cactus Wren
LC

Cactus Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

60–70% · Likely
Pyrrhuloxia
LC

Pyrrhuloxia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis sinuatus

50–60% · Likely
Greater Earless Lizard
LC

Greater Earless Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Cophosaurus texanus

50–60% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Warbler
LC

Yellow-rumped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga coronata

50–60% · Likely
White-tailed Deer
LC Endemic

White-tailed Deer

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Odocoileus virginianus

50–60% · Likely
Ash-throated Flycatcher
LC

Ash-throated Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiarchus cinerascens

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

American Black Bear ★
LC Endemic

American Black Bear

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Ursus americanus

40–50% · Likely
Collared Peccary ★
Endemic

Collared Peccary

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Pecari tajacu

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

White-tailed Deer
LC Endemic

White-tailed Deer

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Odocoileus virginianus

50–60% · Likely
Coyote
LC Endemic

Coyote

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Canis latrans

30–40% · Possible
Rock Squirrel
LC

Rock Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Otospermophilus variegatus

20–30% · Possible
Aoudad
VU

Aoudad

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ammotragus lervia

20–30% · Possible
Desert Cottontail
LC

Desert Cottontail

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Sylvilagus audubonii

20–30% · Possible
Mule Deer
LC Endemic

Mule Deer

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Odocoileus hemionus

20–30% · Possible
Gray Fox
LC Endemic

Gray Fox

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Urocyon cinereoargenteus

10–20% · With luck
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
LC Endemic

Black-tailed Jackrabbit

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Lepus californicus

10–20% · With luck
Bobcat
LC Endemic

Bobcat

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Lynx rufus

10–20% · With luck
Texas Antelope Squirrel
LC

Texas Antelope Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ammospermophilus interpres

10–20% · With luck
Common Raccoon
LC Endemic

Common Raccoon

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Procyon lotor

10–20% · With luck
Pallid Bat
LC

Pallid Bat

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Antrozous pallidus

5–10% · With luck

⭐ Iconic Species

Greater Roadrunner ★
LC

Greater Roadrunner

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geococcyx californianus

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

White-winged Dove
LC

White-winged Dove

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Zenaida asiatica

70–80% · Very likely
Northern Mockingbird
LC

Northern Mockingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Mimus polyglottos

60–70% · Likely
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

60–70% · Likely
Common Raven
LC

Common Raven

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Corvus corax

60–70% · Likely
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
LC

Ladder-backed Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dryobates scalaris

60–70% · Likely
House Finch
LC Endemic

House Finch

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Haemorhous mexicanus

60–70% · Likely
Cactus Wren
LC

Cactus Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus

60–70% · Likely
Pyrrhuloxia
LC

Pyrrhuloxia

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis sinuatus

50–60% · Likely
Yellow-rumped Warbler
LC

Yellow-rumped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga coronata

50–60% · Likely
Ash-throated Flycatcher
LC

Ash-throated Flycatcher

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Myiarchus cinerascens

50–60% · Likely
Northern Cardinal
LC Endemic

Northern Cardinal

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardinalis cardinalis

40–50% · Likely
Canyon Towhee
LC

Canyon Towhee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melozone fusca

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake ★
LC Endemic

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Crotalus atrox

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Greater Earless Lizard
LC

Greater Earless Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Cophosaurus texanus

50–60% · Likely
Canyon Lizard
LC

Canyon Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Sceloporus merriami

30–40% · Possible
Plateau Spotted Whiptail

Plateau Spotted Whiptail

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Aspidoscelis scalaris

30–40% · Possible
Marbled Whiptail

Marbled Whiptail

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Aspidoscelis marmoratus

30–40% · Possible
Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake

Eastern Black-tailed Rattlesnake

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Crotalus ornatus

30–40% · Possible
Common Side-blotched Lizard
LC

Common Side-blotched Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Uta stansburiana

30–40% · Possible
Trans-pecos Ratsnake
LC

Trans-pecos Ratsnake

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Bogertophis subocularis

20–30% · Possible
Crevice Spiny Lizard
LC

Crevice Spiny Lizard

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Sceloporus poinsettii

20–30% · Possible
Big Bend Slider
VU

Big Bend Slider

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Trachemys gaigeae

20–30% · Possible
Texas Banded Gecko
LC

Texas Banded Gecko

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Coleonyx brevis

20–30% · Possible
Spiny Softshell Turtle
LC

Spiny Softshell Turtle

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Apalone spinifera

20–30% · Possible
Chihuahuan Nightsnake
LC

Chihuahuan Nightsnake

🌙 Nocturnal Reptile

Hypsiglena jani

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Red-spotted Toad
LC

Red-spotted Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Anaxyrus punctatus

20–30% · Possible
Rio Grande Leopard Frog
LC

Rio Grande Leopard Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Lithobates berlandieri

20–30% · Possible
Texas Toad
LC

Texas Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Anaxyrus speciosus

10–20% · With luck
Couch's Spadefoot
LC

Couch's Spadefoot

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Scaphiopus couchii

10–20% · With luck
Canyon Tree Frog
LC

Canyon Tree Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Dryophytes arenicolor

5–10% · With luck
American Bullfrog

American Bullfrog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Lithobates catesbeianus

5–10% · With luck
Green Treefrog
LC

Green Treefrog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Dryophytes cinereus

5–10% · With luck
Green Toad
LC

Green Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Anaxyrus debilis

5–10% · With luck
Western Narrow-mouthed Toad
LC

Western Narrow-mouthed Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Gastrophryne olivacea

5–10% · With luck
Cliff Chirping Frog
LC

Cliff Chirping Frog

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Eleutherodactylus marnockii

5–10% · Rare
Mexican Spadefoot
LC

Mexican Spadefoot

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Spea multiplicata

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐦

Colima Warbler Breeding Season

AprMayJunJul

Colima Warblers migrate from Mexico each spring to breed in the high Chisos Mountains — the only regular US breeding site — arriving and departing by

Colima Warbler
LC

Colima Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leiothlypis crissalis

10–20% · With luck
🐦

Spring Bird Migration

AprMay

Peak spring migration through the Rio Grande corridor and Chisos in the last two weeks of and first week of , when Big Bend records its greatest diversity of migrant songbirds.

Wilson's Warbler
LC

Wilson's Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cardellina pusilla

30–40% · Possible
Western Tanager
LC

Western Tanager

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Piranga ludoviciana

10–20% · With luck
Townsend's Warbler
LC

Townsend's Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Setophaga townsendi

10–20% · With luck
🐦

Hummingbird Season at Mountain Sage Bloom

JulAugSep

In late summer the Chisos mountain sage blooms and concentrates hummingbirds — including the US-specialty Lucifer Hummingbird — feeding on the red blossoms

Black-chinned Hummingbird
LC

Black-chinned Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Archilochus alexandri

20–30% · Possible
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
LC

Broad-tailed Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Selasphorus platycercus

10–20% · With luck
Lucifer Hummingbird
LC

Lucifer Hummingbird

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calothorax lucifer

10–20% · With luck

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
40–50
40–50
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
American Black Bear
10–20
10–20
10–20
30–40
40–50
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
20–30
Collared Peccary
40–50
40–50
40–50
50–60
40–50
30–40
30–40
20–30
20–30
40–50
40–50
40–50
Greater Roadrunner
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
10–20
<5
30–40
30–40
40–50
50–60
60–70
60–70
80–90
50–60
30–40
10–20
White-winged Dove
60–70
60–70
70–80
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
70–80
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
Northern Mockingbird
60–70
50–60
50–60
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
50–60
50–60
Turkey Vulture
<5
5–10
60–70
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
80–90
40–50
5–10
<5
Common Raven
70–80
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
40–50
50–60
50–60
70–80
60–70
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
70–80
70–80
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
House Finch
40–50
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
70–80
60–70
60–70
50–60
40–50
40–50
Cactus Wren
40–50
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
Pyrrhuloxia
70–80
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
60–70
60–70
40–50
50–60
Greater Earless Lizard
10–20
30–40
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
40–50
10–20
Yellow-rumped Warbler
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
60–70
<5
5–10
10–20
30–40
60–70
50–60
50–60
White-tailed Deer
40–50
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
50–60
40–50
40–50
50–60
Ash-throated Flycatcher
5–10
<5
20–30
70–80
70–80
70–80
60–70
20–30
20–30
5–10
10–20
20–30
Animal Events
🐦 Colima Warbler Breeding Season
🐦 Spring Bird Migration
🐦 Hummingbird Season at Mountain Sage Bloom

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Good
🐦 Roadrunners in the Chihuahuan Desert

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
4.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
508
🐒 Mammals
126
🦎 Reptiles
115
🐸 Amphibians
35
784 Total Species
850 Global average across 296 parks
21 Threatened 116 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
3.1 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
60%
📊
Coverage (204 species at ≥5% of 784 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
26%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 1 reptile, 1 mammal)
46% Global avg
39%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 Global avg
118
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
15 Global avg
7
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
26

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Big Bend National Park?

The most likely sightings are White-winged Dove (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Northern Mockingbird (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Turkey Vulture (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Common Raven (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Ladder-backed Woodpecker (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers) — among 784 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Big Bend National Park for wildlife?

May has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see American Black Bear in Big Bend National Park?

Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a American Black Bear sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 218 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Collared Peccary in Big Bend National Park?

Yes — about 42% of wildlife watchers report a Collared Peccary sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 237 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Greater Roadrunner in Big Bend National Park?

Yes — about 55% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Roadrunner sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 2,455 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in Big Bend National Park?

Yes — about 46% of wildlife watchers report a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake sighting in Big Bend National Park, based on 286 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

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