American Bison
American BisonAmerican BisonAmerican BisonAmerican Bison

American Bison

Bison bison

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
90–100% · Very likely
overall probability at Yellowstone National Park
3,280 Verified records at Yellowstone National Park
February Best month highest sighting rate
🌅 Crepuscular When it's active at dawn and dusk

The American bison (Bison bison; pl.: bison), commonly known as the American buffalo, or simply buffalo (not to be confused with true buffalo), is a species of bison that is endemic to North America. It is one of two extant species of bison, along with the European bison. Its historical range circa 9000 BC is referred to as the great bison belt, a tract of rich grassland spanning from Alaska south to the Gulf of Mexico, and east to the Atlantic Seaboard (nearly to the Atlantic tidewater in some areas), as far north as New York, south to Georgia, and according to some sources, further south to northern Florida, with sightings in North Carolina near Buffalo Ford on the Catawba River as late as 1750. Two subspecies or ecotypes have been described: the plains bison (B. b. bison), smaller and with a more rounded hump; and the wood bison (B. b. athabascae), the larger of the two and having a taller, square hump. Wikipedia →

90–100% of wildlife watchers report a American Bison sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 3,280 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Closest Relatives at Yellowstone National Park

Bighorn Sheep
LC Endemic

Bighorn Sheep

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ovis canadensis

40–50% · Likely
Mountain Goat
LC

Mountain Goat

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Oreamnos americanus

20–30% · Possible
Elk
LC Endemic

Elk

☀️🌙 Day & Night Mammal

Cervus elaphus

80–90% · Very likely
Pronghorn
LC Endemic

Pronghorn

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Antilocapra americana

60–70% · Likely
Mule Deer
LC Endemic

Mule Deer

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Odocoileus hemionus

40–50% · Likely
Elk
LC

Elk

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Alces alces

30–40% · Possible
Moose

Moose

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Alces americanus

5–10% · With luck
White-tailed Deer
LC Endemic

White-tailed Deer

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Odocoileus virginianus

5–10% · With luck

📅 Monthly Probability

90–100
Jan
90–100
Feb
90–100
Mar
90–100
Apr
90–100
May
90–100
Jun
90–100
Jul
90–100
Aug
90–100
Sep
90–100
Oct
90–100
Nov
90–100
Dec

🌅 When They're Spotted

Most active at dawn and dusk · across all parks (global)

🌅Crepuscular
☀️🌙🌙12am6am12pm6pm12am

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Probability
1 Elk Island National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
90–100%
2 Yellowstone National Park 🇺🇸 United States
90–100%
3 Badlands National Park 🇺🇸 United States
90–100%
4 Wood Buffalo National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
60–70%
5 Grand Teton National Park 🇺🇸 United States
50–60%
6 Grand Canyon National Park 🇺🇸 United States
20–30%
7 Riding Mountain National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
8 Kluane National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
10–20%
9 Glacier National Park 🇺🇸 United States
5–10%
10 Nahanni National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
11 Zion National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
12 Banff National Park 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data
13 Big Bend National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
14 Rocky Mountain National Park 🇺🇸 United States
Insufficient data
15 Great Bear Rainforest 🇨🇦 Canada
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a American Bison in Yellowstone National Park?

About 91% of wildlife watchers report a American Bison sighting in Yellowstone National Park, based on 3,280 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see American Bison in Yellowstone National Park?

February has the highest sighting rate for American Bison in Yellowstone National Park in our monthly data.

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