Merlin
Photo © Kathlin Simpkins
Photo © Kathlin Simpkins — CC0 1.0 — Source: iNaturalist photo #324285453Identification
The merlin is a small falcon of the Northern Hemisphere, distinguished by its compact, streamlined form built for speed and agility. Males typically have wingspans of 53–58 centimetres (21–23 inches), while females are slightly larger. These swift fliers are fairly distinct among living falcons in their size, shape, and coloration, making them recognizable to experienced birdwatchers once spotted in flight.
Range & Habitat
The merlin breeds throughout the northern Holarctic with numerous subspecies spanning North America and Eurasia. Some populations migrate to subtropical and northern tropical regions during winter, while others have become increasingly sedentary. Recent decades have seen a significant range expansion, particularly in North America, where some merlins have adapted so well to city life that they now forgo migration entirely.
Behaviour & Diet
Merlins are skilled hunters that specialize in preying on small birds, with a preference for species in the size range of sparrows to doves and medium-sized shorebirds. Their hunting prowess and swift, agile flight have made them prized birds in falconry for centuries. In North America, merlin populations have been significantly increasing in recent decades, though European populations have remained steady since around 2000.
Best Time & Places to See It
Merlin populations breed throughout the northern Holarctic, making timing and location dependent on your geographic position. Summer months offer the best opportunity to observe breeding birds in northern regions, while winter observers in subtropical and northern tropical areas may encounter migratory populations. Urban areas in North America, where some populations have become resident, offer year-round viewing opportunities.
Photography Tips
Capturing the merlin's speed and agility presents a rewarding challenge for wildlife photographers. Fast shutter speeds are essential to freeze the bird's swift, darting flight patterns. Look for perching birds in open habitats during breeding season, and focus on capturing the characteristic compact silhouette and keen, predatory expression that define this accomplished aerial hunter.
Monfragüe National Park
Torrejón el Rubio, Spain
+219 birds+10 mammals
Where the Tagus River cuts through limestone plateaus in central Extremadura, Monfragüe National Park rises as a fortress of Mediterranean and Atlantic woodland, its dramatic rocky…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPicos de Europa National Park
Posada de Valdeón, Spain
+166 birds+26 mammals
Where limestone massifs rise abruptly from the Castilian plateau, the Picos de Europa create one of Spain's most dramatic mountain wilderness areas. The park's jagged peaks,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGlacier National Park
Glacier, Canada
+162 birds+12 mammals
Where granite peaks pierce the clouds above the Columbia River valley, Glacier National Park protects one of the most dramatic mountain wilderness areas in western Canada.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCape Breton Highlands National Park
Cape Breton Highlands National Park, Canada
+215 birds+18 mammals
Where the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia rises in weathered cliffs and glacially carved valleys, Cape Breton Highlands National Park spans a landscape where boreal and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSerra D’Irta Natural Park
Alcossebre, Spain
+122 birds+13 mammals
Where Mediterranean limestone cliffs meet the Balearic Sea, Serra d'Irta unfolds as a tapestry of dramatic coastal terrain and diverse terrestrial habitats. This Category 5 protected…
VIEW NATURAL PARKS’Albufera Natural Park
Platja de Muro, Spain
+253 birds+6 mammals
Where Mediterranean lagoons meet the Balearic coast, S'Albufera stretches across nearly 1,600 hectares of wetland and dune systems that rank among Europe's most ecologically vital shallow-water…
VIEW NATURAL PARKMarjal Pego-Oliva Natural Park
Molinell, Spain
+219 birds+2 mammals
Where the Valencian littoral flattens into wetland and reed-bed, Marjal Pego-Oliva straddles the boundary between the Mediterranean and its inland margins, a mosaic of shallow lagoons,…
VIEW NATURAL PARKRago National Park
Nordland, Sweden
+36 birds+2 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through boreal forest in Nordland's remote interior, Rago National Park preserves one of Scandinavia's most dramatic mountain landscapes. The park's deeply incised…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKJunkerdal National Park
Nordland, Sweden
+81 birds+8 mammals
Where deep river gorges slice through the high plateaus of northern Scandinavia, Junkerdal National Park reveals the raw architecture of boreal wilderness. The park's defining feature…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKStenshuvuds National Park
Skåne län, Sweden
+224 birds+19 mammals
Where limestone cliffs rise sharply above the Øresund Strait, Stenshuvuds National Park commands the southeastern tip of Skåne, a landscape carved by glaciation into rolling beech…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMuddus / Muttos National Park
Norrbottens län, Sweden
+128 birds+7 mammals
Where boreal forest meets wetland across the high plateaus of Swedish Lapland, Muddus National Park unfolds as one of northern Europe's most pristine wilderness sanctuaries. Vast…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKFärnebofjärden National Park
Gävleborgs län, Sweden
+170 birds+20 mammals
Where the Gävle River widens into a sprawling delta before meeting the Gulf of Bothnia, Färnebofjärden National Park unfolds across a landscape of exceptional ecological complexity.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKosterhavets National Park
Västra Götalands län, Sweden
+211 birds+9 mammals
Where the west coast of Sweden dissolves into an archipelago of granite skerries and pine-clad islands, Kosterhavets National Park emerges as one of northern Europe's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCorcovado National Park
Puerto Jiménez, Costa Rica
+444 birds+48 mammals
Where the Osa Peninsula juts into the Pacific, rainforest descends almost to the tide line, and Corcovado National Park protects one of Central America's most intact…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKManuel Antonio National Park
Quepos, Costa Rica
+426 birds+22 mammals
Where tropical rainforest descends steeply to a rocky Pacific coastline, Manuel Antonio National Park distills Central American biodiversity into one of Costa Rica's most compressed and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKArenal Volcano National Park
Peñas Blancas, Costa Rica
+551 birds+21 mammals
Straddling the border between Alajuela and Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica, this national park rises dramatically around one of Central America's most active volcanic systems. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTortuguero National Park
Roxana, Costa Rica
+420 birds+23 mammals
Canals and lagoons thread through a labyrinth of lowland rainforest where the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica meets the wetland frontier. This is terrain shaped by…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChirripó National Park
Rivas, Costa Rica
+274 birds+6 mammals
Where the volcanic spine of Costa Rica's Central Cordillera reaches its apex, Chirripó National Park encompasses a landscape that shifts dramatically with elevation, from montane cloud…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBraulio Carrillo National Park
Las Horquetas, Costa Rica
+547 birds+18 mammals
Where the Caribbean slope descends from the central volcanic cordillera toward the humid lowlands of Heredia, Braulio Carrillo National Park preserves one of Costa Rica's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSanta Rosa National Park
Santa Elena, Costa Rica
+359 birds+30 mammals
Where Pacific-facing slopes descend from volcanic uplands toward the Guanacaste lowlands, Santa Rosa National Park unfolds across a mosaic of tropical dry forest, gallery woodland, and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVolcán Poás National Park
Toro Amarillo, Costa Rica
+237 birds+4 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise sharply from the Central Valley floor, Volcán Poás National Park protects one of Costa Rica's most active and accessible volcanic systems. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKL’Albufera Natural Park
València, Spain
+321 birds+18 mammals
Where shallow lagoons meet Mediterranean coastal marshland, L'Albufera Nature Park unfolds as one of Spain's most vital wetland complexes. This protected landscape, designated under IUCN Category…
VIEW NATURAL PARKDovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park
Trøndelag, Norway
+127 birds+17 mammals
Granite peaks and deep valleys carved by ancient glaciers define this vast mountain wilderness straddling the spine of central Norway. Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park rises where subalpine…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKØvre Dividal National Park
Troms, Norway
+78 birds+3 mammals
Where granite plateaus rise above the Arctic tundra in northernmost Troms, Øvre Dividal National Park unfolds across a landscape shaped by ice-age geology and subarctic climate.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park
Norderney, Germany
+193 birds+12 mammals
Where the North Sea meets the German coast, a vast expanse of tidal mudflats, salt marshes, and shallow waters creates one of Europe's most dynamic estuarine…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKHamburgisches Wattenmeer National Park
Hamburg, Germany
+206 birds+6 mammals
Where the North Sea exhales across the Elbe estuary, the tidal mudflats of Hamburgisches Wattenmeer National Park emerge twice daily in a landscape of extraordinary ecological…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLower Oder Valley National Park
Schwedt/Oder, Germany
+216 birds+21 mammals
Where the Oder River winds through northeastern Brandenburg, the Lower Oder Valley National Park protects one of Central Europe's most vital wetland systems. This sprawling mosaic…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park
Küstengewässer einschließlich Anteil am Festlandso, Germany
+230 birds+19 mammals
Where the Baltic coast dissolves into a labyrinth of shallow lagoons and coastal wetlands, Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft National Park protects one of northern Europe's most dynamic and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSchleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer National Park
Germany
+378 birds+49 mammals
Where the North Sea ebbs and flows across a vast expanse of exposed mud and sand, the Schleswig-Holsteinisches Wattenmeer National Park reveals one of Europe's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBavarian Forest National Park
Germany
+127 birds+18 mammals
Where ancient spruce and fir forests rise across the Bohemian plateau, the Bavarian Forest National Park unfolds as one of central Europe's most intact temperate woodland…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDoñana National Park
Hinojos, Spain
+300 birds+13 mammals
Where the Guadalquivir River delta spreads into the Atlantic, vast marshes, cork woodlands, and coastal dunes converge to create one of southwestern Europe's most biodiverse wetland…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTablas de Daimiel National Park
Daimiel, Spain
+246 birds+6 mammals
Where the Guadiana River spreads into a labyrinth of shallow lagoons and reed beds across the sun-baked plains of central Spain, Tablas de Daimiel National Park…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKOrdesa y Monte Perdido National Park
Sobrarbe, Spain
+162 birds+13 mammals
Where limestone cliffs soar a thousand metres above cascading rivers, the Pyrenean massif reveals itself in its most dramatic form. Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKExmoor National Park
Somerset, United Kingdom
+159 birds+32 mammals
Where the Bristol Channel wind scours windswept moorland into rolling open heath, Exmoor rises from the Somerset coast as one of England's most rugged upland landscapes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPembrokeshire Coast National Park
Pembrokeshire, United Kingdom
+250 birds+41 mammals
Where the Cambrian coastline meets the Celtic Sea, cliff-top moorland and hidden coves define a landscape carved by 300 million years of geological drama. Pembrokeshire Coast…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEryri National Park
Gwynedd, United Kingdom
+199 birds+36 mammals
Where granite peaks rise abruptly from the Snowdonia landscape, Eryri National Park encompasses one of Britain's most dramatic mountain terrain. The park's rugged plateaus, deep glacial…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLake District National Park
Westmorland and Furness, United Kingdom
+209 birds+36 mammals
Where slate fells rise steeply from mirror-still waters, the Lake District unfolds as one of Britain's most ecologically intricate mountain landscapes. The park's patchwork of deep…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKYorkshire Dales National Park
North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
+169 birds+25 mammals
Limestone pavements and deep limestone gorges carved by glaciation dominate the landscape of the Yorkshire Dales, creating a landscape of exceptional geological drama where moorland plateaus…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBannau Brycheiniog National Park
Powys, United Kingdom
+178 birds+36 mammals
Where sandstone ridges rise above the rolling moorlands of mid-Wales, Bannau Brycheiniog National Park protects one of Britain's most compelling upland landscapes. The park's dramatic peaks,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNorth York Moors National Park
North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
+234 birds+32 mammals
Across the high moorlands of North Yorkshire, where heather and bilberry sprawl beneath vast skies, the landscape rises and falls in gentle undulation—a patchwork of open…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNorthumberland National Park
Northumberland, United Kingdom
+133 birds+20 mammals
Granite ridges and moorland sweep across the Cheviot Hills in northern England, where windswept uplands give way to deep river valleys carved through ancient bedrock. Northumberland…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSouth Downs National Park
Chichester, United Kingdom
+298 birds+45 mammals
Chalk downland ridges rise and fall across the South Downs, their open grasslands and beech hangers creating a mosaic of habitats that has shaped human settlement…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDartmoor National Park
West Devon, United Kingdom
+162 birds+33 mammals
Across the high moorlands of Devon, where granite tors pierce through rolling heather and acid grassland, Dartmoor rises as one of Britain's most expansive upland wilderness…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Natural Park
Frigiliana, Spain
+128 birds+8 mammals
Where limestone ridges rise sharply from the Axarquía lowlands, the Sierra de Tejeda, Almijara y Alhama Nature Park unfolds across a dramatic landscape of white-rock massifs,…
VIEW NATURAL PARKCabo de Gata-Níjar Natural Park
San José, Spain
+274 birds+11 mammals
Where volcanic ridges plunge toward the Mediterranean, Cabo de Gata-Níjar Nature Park unfolds across one of Europe's most arid coastlines, a landscape sculpted by tectonic violence…
VIEW NATURAL PARKSerra de Montsant Natural Park
La Morera de Montsant, Spain
+134 birds+15 mammals
Rugged limestone ridges and deeply incised gorges define the Serra de Montsant, a 10,000-hectare protected landscape that rises abruptly from the wine-growing plains of Tarragona in…
VIEW NATURAL PARKKootenay National Park
Area G (Forster Creek/Mount Assiniboine), Canada
+181 birds+23 mammals
Where the spine of the Canadian Rockies rises above 3,000 metres, the high alpine realm around Forster Creek and Mount Assiniboine reveals one of the continent's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMount Revelstoke National Park
Area B (Shelter Bay/Mica Creek), Canada
+155 birds+8 mammals
Where the Columbia River carves through the western ranges of British Columbia, Shelter Bay and Mica Creek mark the entrance to a wilderness where subalpine meadows…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSirmilik National Park
Qikiqtaaluk Region, Canada
+58 birds+4 mammals
Where the Canadian Arctic archipelago fractures into a labyrinth of islands, Sirmilik National Park protects one of the High North's most pristine marine and terrestrial ecosystems.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKFrontenac National Park
Sainte-Praxède, Canada
+178 birds+11 mammals
Where the Canadian Shield's ancient granite ridges meet coniferous forest and freshwater lakes, Frontenac National Park embraces a landscape carved by millennia of glacial movement. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBanff National Park
Improvement District No. 9, Canada
+264 birds+33 mammals
Where the Canadian Rockies thrust skyward in a cathedral of limestone and ice, Banff National Park preserves a wilderness of astounding vertical drama. Glacier-carved valleys cradle…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKJasper National Park
Improvement District No. 12, Canada
+235 birds+34 mammals
Where the Canadian Rockies rise in dramatic succession across western Alberta, Jasper National Park spans over 11,000 square kilometres of subalpine and alpine terrain, glaciated valleys,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKL’Île-Bonaventure-Et-Du-Rocher-Percé National Park
Le Rocher-Percé, Canada
+214 birds+3 mammals
A dramatic thrust of russet sandstone pierces the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, its weathered arch framing a seascape where cool Atlantic currents sweep past cliffs alive…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMont-Saint-Bruno National Park
Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville, Canada
+200 birds+13 mammals
Hardwood forests rise steeply from the suburbs of Montreal to crown a distinctive peak in the Monterégian Hills, their ancient geology pushing through mixed deciduous woodland…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPointe-Taillon National Park
Lac-Saint-Jean-Est, Canada
+157 birds+10 mammals
Where boreal forest meets the shores of Lac-Saint-Jean, Pointe-Taillon National Park unfolds across a landscape shaped by glacial legacy and water. Sandy peninsulas and islands rise…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMauricie National Park
Shawinigan, Canada
+184 birds+12 mammals
Where the Canadian Shield meets boreal forest, Mauricie National Park unfolds across a landscape of granite ridges, crystalline lakes, and dense coniferous woodland that defines the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMontaña Palentina Natural Park
Vidrieros, Spain
+180 birds+29 mammals
Where the Cantabrian mountains rise above the Palencia plateau, Montaña Palentina Nature Park sprawls across nearly 1,500 square kilometres of some of northern Spain's most dramatic…
VIEW NATURAL PARKDelta de l’Ebre Natural Park
Eucaliptus, Spain
+341 birds+18 mammals
Where the Ebro River spreads into a vast labyrinth of shallow lagoons, reed beds, and brackish marshes before surrendering to the Mediterranean, one of southern Europe's…
VIEW NATURAL PARKCap de Creus Natural Park
Roses, Spain
+245 birds+23 mammals
Where the Pyrenees tumble into the Mediterranean, Cap de Creus Nature Park unfolds across 300 square kilometres of one of northeastern Spain's most dramatic coastal wilderness…
VIEW NATURAL PARKDanube Delta Biosphere Reserve
Tulcea, Romania
+277 birds+27 mammals
Where the Danube surrenders to the Black Sea, a vast labyrinth of channels, reed beds, and freshwater lakes sprawls across nearly 13,400 square kilometers of eastern…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNew River Gorge National Park
Fayette County, United States
+183 birds+13 mammals
Where the New River carves its ancient path through the Appalachian plateau, a landscape of towering sandstone cliffs and dense deciduous forest creates one of the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBig Bend National Park
Brewster County, United States
+345 birds+34 mammals
Where the Chisos Mountains rise abruptly from the Sonoran Desert floor, Big Bend National Park spans over 7,300 square kilometers of one of North America's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCanyonlands National Park
Wayne County, United States
+186 birds+15 mammals
Where the Colorado River has carved an intricate labyrinth through the high desert plateau of southeastern Utah, Canyonlands National Park sprawls across nearly 3,030 square kilometres…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVoyageurs National Park
Northwest Saint Louis, United States
+198 birds+13 mammals
Where the boreal forest meets the glacially sculpted lakes of northwestern Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park sprawls across nearly two thousand square kilometres of a landscape shaped…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMammoth Cave National Park
Edmonson County, United States
+179 birds+13 mammals
Beneath the rolling hills of central Kentucky lies one of North America's most extensive cave systems, where limestone passages descend through a landscape shaped by water…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKenai Fjords National Park
Kenai Peninsula Borough, United States
+164 birds+19 mammals
Granite peaks and tidewater glaciers dominate Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, where nearly 7,900 square kilometers of pristine coastal wilderness descend from the Harding Icefield toward the Gulf…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSaguaro National Park
Rincon Valley, United States
+354 birds+40 mammals
Where the Sonoran Desert meets sky-island mountains, two geographically separated districts of Saguaro National Park sprawl across nearly two thousand square kilometers of Arizona's most iconic…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKatmai National Park
Lake and Peninsula Borough, United States
+160 birds+19 mammals
Across southwestern Alaska's Lake and Peninsula Borough, nearly 27,000 square kilometers of subarctic wilderness sprawl between volcanic peaks and coastal wetlands, anchored by the confluence of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKIndiana Dunes National Park
Porter, United States
+304 birds+15 mammals
Along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, where glacial geology meets temperate woodland and open water, sprawls a landscape of extraordinary ecological complexity. The dunes themselves—massive…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLassen Volcanic National Park
Shasta County, United States
+239 birds+18 mammals
Volcanic peaks and geothermal upheaval have sculpted 545 square kilometers of Northern California into a landscape where fire and water engage in perpetual dialogue. Lassen Peak…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPinnacles National Park
San Benito County, United States
+197 birds+33 mammals
Jagged volcanic spires thrust from chaparral-covered ridges across 222 square kilometers of central California's inner Coast Ranges, their pale stone crowns catching the afternoon light like…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKJoshua Tree National Park
Riverside County, United States
+221 birds+23 mammals
Across 5,610 square kilometers of Riverside County's high desert, a landscape of geological drama unfolds where granite monoliths pierce through bajadas of creosote scrub and Joshua…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGlacier Bay National Park
Unorganized Borough, United States
+221 birds+15 mammals
Tidewater glaciers calving into fjords of impossible blue, where temperate rainforest rises steeply from the water's edge and alpine peaks pierce the clouds—this is the ecological…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGreat Basin National Park
White Pine County, United States
+170 birds+19 mammals
Where the Great Basin's high desert plateaus rise above 10,000 feet, ancient bristlecone pines endure on moonscape ridges of limestone and quartzite, creating one of North…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCarlsbad Caverns National Park
Eddy County, United States
+309 birds+18 mammals
Beneath the Chihuahuan Desert floor of southern New Mexico lies one of North America's most spectacular subterranean landscapes. Carlsbad Caverns National Park encompasses over 518 square…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKArches National Park
Grand County, United States
+185 birds+20 mammals
Where rust-red sandstone fins rise abruptly from high desert scrubland, Arches National Park spans 548 square kilometers of one of North America's most sculptural landscapes. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKZion National Park
Washington County, United States
+244 birds+30 mammals
Towering sandstone cliffs in shades of crimson, rust, and cream rise abruptly from the Virgin River's winding canyon floor, their sculpted faces bearing witness to millions…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMesa Verde National Park
Montezuma County, United States
+166 birds+10 mammals
Across the high desert plateau of southwestern Colorado, where sandstone mesas rise abruptly from piñon-juniper scrubland, Mesa Verde National Park preserves one of North America's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGreat Sand Dunes National Park
Saguache County, United States
+193 birds+14 mammals
Where the Colorado high plains collide with one of North America's most extraordinary geological anomalies, nearly 600 square kilometres of windswept sand rise abruptly from the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCapitol Reef National Park
Garfield County, United States
+196 birds+22 mammals
Wrinkled ridges of crimson and gold sandstone rise from the floor of south-central Utah, their weathered faces carved by the Fremont River into one of the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGates of the Arctic National Park
Unorganized Borough, United States
+112 birds+12 mammals
Where granite gorges pierce the Brooks Range and alpine tundra stretches endlessly beneath the Alaskan sky, Gates of the Arctic National Park unfolds across nearly 50,000…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDenali National Park
Denali Borough, United States
+144 birds+18 mammals
Across nearly 31,000 square kilometres of interior Alaska, subarctic boreal forest gives way to alpine tundra, where the raw architecture of mountains—including the continent's tallest peak—shapes…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKEverglades National Park
Monroe County, United States
+345 birds+22 mammals
Where freshwater marsh meets subtropical sky, the Everglades sprawls across southwestern Florida as one of North America's most expansive wetland ecosystems. Spanning over 13,000 square kilometers,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
Sevier County, United States
+244 birds+40 mammals
Where the southern Appalachian ridgeline reaches its most densely forested expression, over 4,200 square kilometres of temperate woodland rise and fall across Tennessee and North Carolina,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGrand Teton National Park
Teton County, United States
+247 birds+38 mammals
Where the Teton Range tears skyward in a dramatic escarpment above the Snake River valley, nearly 2,550 square kilometers of montane wilderness unfolds across Teton County,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKYellowstone National Park
Park County, United States
+253 birds+43 mammals
Across nearly 11,400 square kilometres of the Rocky Mountain plateau, geothermal fury and pristine wilderness converge in one of Earth's most dynamic landscapes. Hot springs, geysers…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMount Rainier National Park
Pierce County, United States
+187 birds+25 mammals
A volcanic colossus dominates the Cascade Range in western Washington, its 4,392-meter summit crowned year-round with glacial ice that cascades down toward temperate rainforest and subalpine…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCrater Lake National Park
Klamath County, United States
+174 birds+13 mammals
At 1,949 metres above sea level, a volcanic caldera of impossible clarity holds one of North America's deepest and most pristine alpine lakes, ringed by pumice-and-ash…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Montrose County, United States
+169 birds+13 mammals
Where the Gunnison River has carved one of North America's steepest and most dramatic canyons, ancient metamorphic rock walls plunge nearly 2,000 feet in places, creating…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRocky Mountain National Park
Larimer County, United States
+259 birds+33 mammals
Where granite peaks rise above 12,000 feet and alpine tundra gives way to subalpine forest, Rocky Mountain National Park spans the Continental Divide across nearly 1,600…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRedwood National Park
Humboldt County, United States
+343 birds+43 mammals
Where the Pacific fog rolls deep into northern California's coastal valleys, some of the tallest trees on Earth rise from a landscape shaped by tectonic forces…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSequoia National Park
Tulare County, United States
+187 birds+27 mammals
Granite peaks rising above 3,600 meters dominate the southern Sierra Nevada, where Sequoia National Park sprawls across one of North America's most vertically compressed wilderness zones.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKings Canyon National Park
Fresno County, United States
+186 birds+20 mammals
Where granite peaks fracture the Sierra Nevada skyline and the Kings River has carved one of North America's most dramatic canyons, a landscape of extreme relief…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDeath Valley National Park
Inyo County, United States
+339 birds+25 mammals
Across nearly 3.5 million acres of southeastern California's Inyo County, vast salt flats meet sculpted badlands and alluvial fans in a landscape so extreme it defines…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKOlympic National Park
Jefferson County, United States
+263 birds+35 mammals
Where temperate rainforest meets alpine wilderness, Olympic National Park sprawls across nearly 11,000 square kilometers of the Pacific Northwest's most pristine landscape. The park's three distinct…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWrangell-Saint Elias National Park
Unorganized Borough, United States
+155 birds+13 mammals
Where granite peaks thrust above 5,400 metres and vast fields of glacial ice dominate the landscape, Wrangell-Saint Elias encompasses one of North America's most extreme wilderness…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPallas-Yllästunturi National Park
Muonio, Finland
+137 birds+19 mammals
Where boreal forest meets fell, across the Finnish Arctic frontier, nearly 3,650 square kilometres of pristine subarctic wilderness unfold in a landscape sculpted by glacial epochs…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPatvinsuo National Park
Lieksa, Finland
+134 birds+1 mammals
Across eastern Finland's borderlands, where boreal forest meets waterlogged terrain, Patvinsuo National Park sprawls across roughly 185 square kilometers of one of northern Europe's most intact…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTorronsuon National Park
Tammela, Finland
+70 birds+1 mammals
Where boreal wetlands and ancient pine forests converge across central Finland, Torronsuon National Park unfolds across nearly 78 square kilometers of landscape shaped by ice age…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKUrho Kekkonen National Park
Sodankylä, Finland
+122 birds+11 mammals
Across nearly 2,700 square miles of boreal wilderness in Lapland, where the Arctic Circle's influence shapes every ecosystem, lies a landscape dominated by dense spruce and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCabañeros National Park
Retuerta del Bullaque, Spain
+183 birds+8 mammals
Cabañeros National Park is one of Spain’s finest wildlife destinations and one of the best-preserved examples of Mediterranean forest and scrubland in Europe. Located in the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCévennes National Park
Vebron, France
+187 birds+63 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through the limestone plateaux of southern France, the Cévennes Cœur National Park unfolds across nearly 3,500 square kilometres of one of Europe's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra de las Nieves National Park
Tolox, Spain
+159 birds+7 mammals
Where limestone summits pierce the Mediterranean sky above Andalusia's coastal ranges, Sierra de las Nieves National Park unfolds across nearly 500 square kilometres of dramatically folded…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra de Guadarrama National Park
Rascafría, Spain
+179 birds+13 mammals
Where granite peaks rise abruptly from the central Spanish plateau, the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park unfolds across more than eleven hundred square kilometres of montane…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Nature Park
Las Canalejas, Spain
+176 birds+21 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through mountainous terrain in eastern Andalusia, the Sierra de Cazorla, Segura y las Villas Nature Park sprawls across more than 5,200 square…
VIEW NATURAL PARKParc del Foix
Castellet i la Gornal, Spain
+180 birds+4 mammals
Where the Foix River carves through limestone ridges southwest of Barcelona, a natural park of modest area but outsized ecological richness unfolds across roughly 37 square…
VIEW NATURAL PARKParc del Garraf
Rat-Penat, Spain
+190 birds+15 mammals
Where limestone ridges rise abruptly from the Mediterranean coastal plain, Parc Natural del Garraf unfolds across 319 square kilometers of one of Catalonia's most dramatic protected…
VIEW NATURAL PARKCollserola Natural Park
Barcelona, Spain
+194 birds+20 mammals
Where Mediterranean scrubland rises steeply from Barcelona's urban edge, Collserola unfolds across 173 square kilometres of low mountains that form a crucial ecological buffer between city…
VIEW NATURAL PARKNatural Farallones de Cali National Park
Buenaventura, Colombia
+733 birds+27 mammals
Where the Pacific coastal plain meets the western slopes of the Andes, Farallones de Cali National Park sprawls across nearly 3,500 square kilometers of dramatic topography…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNatural Chingaza National Park
Junín, Colombia
+285 birds+6 mammals
Where the Andes rise above three thousand metres in the Cundinamarca region, high-altitude grasslands and cloud forests converge in a landscape shaped by both geology and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMorrocoy National Park
Municipio Silva
+290 birds
Where the Caribbean coast of northwestern Venezuela meets protected coastal waters, a mosaic of mangrove forests, sandy beaches, and coral reef systems defines Morrocoy National Park.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPuracé National Natural Park
Puracé, Colombia
+327 birds+2 mammals
Where the Andes thrust upward across southwestern Colombia, Puracé National Natural Park spans nearly 2,631 square kilometers of some of South America's most dramatic montane terrain.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKHortobágy National Park
Hortobágy, Hungary
+260 birds+17 mammals
Across the North Great Plain of Hungary stretches one of Europe's most expansive semi-natural grassland systems, where horizon-wide vistas of steppe and wetland create a landscape…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKFertő–hanság National Park
Fertőszéplak, Hungary
+246 birds+11 mammals
Where the Austro-Hungarian plains meet the foothills of Western Transdanubia, nearly 900 square kilometres of wetland, reed bed, and mixed woodland form one of Central Europe's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSkuleskogen
Nätra District, Sweden
+158 birds+11 mammals
Where boreal forest meets the raw Höga Kusten coastline, Skuleskogen National Park unfolds across nearly 47 square kilometers of one of northern Sweden's most dramatic landscapes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKStora Sjöfallet
Norrbotten County, Sweden
+150 birds+10 mammals
Where granite plateaus rise above boreal forest and ice-carved valleys plunge toward rushing rivers, Stora Sjöfallet unfolds across nearly 3,300 square kilometres of pristine subarctic wilderness…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSarek
Norrbotten County, Sweden
+119 birds+8 mammals
Where granite gorges cut through boreal wilderness and meltwater streams cascade across weathered plateaus, Sarek National Park sprawls across nearly 3,100 square kilometres of Swedish Lapland's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPadjelanta
Norrbotten County, Sweden
+119 birds+6 mammals
Where the Scandinavian plateau rises into a landscape of low, rolling fells and vast moorlands, Padjelanta National Park sprawls across 3,435 square kilometres of subarctic wilderness…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCadí Moixeró Natural Park
Bor, Spain
+172 birds+21 mammals
Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park is one of the largest and most spectacular protected areas in Catalonia, located in the heart of the eastern Pyrenees. Covering more than…
VIEW NATURAL PARKMontseny Natural Park
Viladrau, Spain
+156 birds+30 mammals
The Montseny Natural Park is one of Catalonia’s most remarkable protected areas, offering an extraordinary blend of biodiversity, scenic landscapes, and cultural heritage within easy reach…
VIEW NATURAL PARKWapusk National Park
Unorganized Division No. 23, Canada
+140 birds+6 mammals
Across the subarctic lowlands of northern Manitoba, where permafrost underlies a mosaic of stunted boreal forest, open muskeg, and coastal tundra, Wapusk National Park sprawls across…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMonts-Valin National Park
Mont-Valin, Canada
+133 birds+6 mammals
Where the boreal forest meets the Canadian Shield, Monts-Valin National Park sprawls across 405 square kilometers of Québec's rugged interior, its landscape carved by glaciation into…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKHautes-Gorges-De-La-Rivière-Malbaie National Park
Mont-Élie, Canada
+140 birds+8 mammals
Where the Rivière-Malbaie carves through the Laurentian highlands, steep-sided gorges rise dramatically above Quebec's coastal hinterland, their ancient bedrock sculpted by millennia of water and ice.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWaterton Lakes National Park
Improvement District No. 04, Canada
+252 birds+31 mammals
Where the Continental Divide plunges toward the prairies of Alberta, glacier-carved valleys and emerald lakes pierce a landscape where montane forest meets alpine tundra. Waterton Lakes…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGrands-Jardins National Park
Lac-Pikauba, Canada
+166 birds+10 mammals
Where the boreal forest transitions into the subalpine plateaus of Quebec's Laurentian highlands, Grands-Jardins National Park sprawls across nearly 690 square kilometers of wild terrain that…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKD’Anticosti National Park
Anticosti Island, Canada
+115 birds+3 mammals
Where boreal forest meets the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, Anticosti Island rises as one of North America's largest and most pristine wilderness preserves. Spanning roughly 2,266…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNahanni National Park
Dehcho Region, Canada
+151 birds+11 mammals
Where the South Nahanni River carves through the Mackenzie Mountains, a landscape of extraordinary wildness unfolds across more than 61,000 square kilometres of boreal forest, alpine…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWood Buffalo National Park
Improvement District No. 24, Canada
+187 birds+10 mammals
Across nearly 75,000 square kilometres of boreal forest, wetland and grassland in northern Alberta, the landscape unfolds in a mosaic of spruce and pine woodland interspersed…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLac-Témiscouata National Park
Témiscouata, Canada
+176 birds+4 mammals
Where the boreal forests of eastern Quebec embrace a sprawling freshwater lake, Lac-Témiscouata National Park unfolds across 509 square kilometres of pristine landscape that bridges two…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKYoho National Park
Area A (Kicking Horse/Kinbasket Lake), Canada
+207 birds+19 mammals
Where the Canadian Rockies meet the Columbia River watershed, a vast wilderness of 2,211 square kilometres unfolds across Yoho National Park in British Columbia. The landscape…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKFundy National Park of Canada
Alma Parish, Canada
+217 birds+24 mammals
Where the Bay of Fundy's tidal rhythms sculpt a landscape of dramatic cliffs, forested valleys, and boulder-strewn shorelines, Fundy National Park rises across approximately 345 square…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMont-Tremblant National Park
Lac-des-Dix-Milles, Canada
+200 birds+12 mammals
Where the Laurentian plateau rises in central Quebec, a landscape of boreal forest and glacially carved lakes unfolds across nearly 3,100 square kilometres of protected wilderness.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKÎles-De-Boucherville National Park
Boucherville, Canada
+243 birds+8 mammals
Where the Saint Lawrence River braids into a labyrinth of islands and channels, Îles-de-Boucherville National Park sprawls across approximately 18 square kilometres of riverine wilderness just…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGros Morne National Park
Canada
+180 birds+19 mammals
Where glacier-carved fjords pierce the interior of Newfoundland, Gros Morne National Park unfolds across nearly four thousand square kilometres of some of Canada's most dramatic coastal…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKluane National Park and Reserve
Canada
+171 birds+17 mammals
Where granite peaks thrust through boreal forest to touch the sky, Kluane National Park and Reserve sprawls across southwestern Yukon as one of North America's most…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBic National Park
Rimouski, Canada
+250 birds+9 mammals
Where the St. Lawrence River meets the Gaspé Peninsula, a rugged coastline of forests, wetlands, and rocky shores unfolds across nearly 95 square kilometres of protected…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMont-Mégantic National Park
La Patrie, Canada
+136 birds+8 mammals
Granite peaks and boreal forest define the rugged terrain of this 115-square-kilometre national park in Quebec's Eastern Townships, where the landscape rises sharply above the surrounding…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKouchibouguac National Park of Canada
Carleton Parish, Canada
+207 birds+14 mammals
Where the Maritime provinces meet the Atlantic, 591 square kilometres of coastal forest and wetland unfold across New Brunswick's eastern shoulder, a mosaic of boreal woodland,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKForillon National Park
Gaspé, Canada
+258 birds+16 mammals
Where the Gaspésie Peninsula juts into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, granite cliffs and coastal headlands frame one of eastern Canada's most dramatic marine-terrestrial boundaries. Forillon…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPoint Pelee National Park
Leamington, Canada
+296 birds+14 mammals
Where Lake Erie's shallow waters meet the Ontario shoreline, a slender sandy peninsula juts into the Great Lakes like a natural funnel for migrating wildlife. This…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra de Andújar Natural Park
Our Lady of Cabeza, Spain
+198 birds+19 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through Mediterranean scrubland and cork forests cascade down Andalusian hillsides, one of Spain's most pristine wilderness areas unfolds across 74,000 hectares of…
VIEW NATURAL PARKEspacio Natural Remolar-Filipinas
El Prat del Llobregat, Spain
+297 birds+7 mammals
Where the Llobregat River delta meets the Mediterranean, a patchwork of salt marshes, reed beds, and shallow lagoons creates one of Catalonia's most dynamic wetland ecosystems.…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEValles Occidentales Natural Park
Siresa, Spain
+168 birds+20 mammals
Where granite gorges slice through the western Pyrenean foothills, steep valleys carved by ancient rivers create a mosaic of Mediterranean scrubland, beech forests, and alpine meadows.…
VIEW NATURAL PARKUrdaibai Biosphere Reserve
Txatxarramendi, Spain
+268 birds+8 mammals
Where the Pyrenean foothills surrender to the Bay of Biscay, tidal estuaries carve through Basque limestone, creating one of Europe's most ecologically vital wetland complexes. Salt…
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVECamargue Regional Nature Park
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, France
+378 birds+48 mammals
Where the Rhône Delta sprawls into the Mediterranean, a landscape of stark and haunting beauty emerges—vast salt marshes punctuated by shallow lagoons, reed beds, and scrubland…
VIEW NATURAL PARKBaru Volcano National Park
Cerro Punta, Panama
+402 birds+6 mammals
Where the land rises sharply toward the Caribbean's western spine, Baru Volcano National Park sprawls across roughly 220 square kilometres of southwestern Panama, anchored by the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGeneral de División Omar Torrijos Herrera National Park
La Pintada, Panama
+401 birds+2 mammals
Across the highlands of central Panama, where the continental divide funnels moisture-laden trade winds into steep river valleys, the terrain rises and falls in a landscape…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSoberanía National Park
Cristóbal, Panama
+495 birds+34 mammals
Rainforest and riverine woodland blanket the rolling terrain of this 714-square-kilometre national park in Colón Province, where the Caribbean watershed feeds a maze of streams and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChagres National Park
Caimitillo, Panama
+486 birds+19 mammals
Where the Chagres River carves through the humid tropics of central Panama, a vast montane and lowland forest sprawls across more than 2,300 square kilometers, anchoring…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDarién National Park
Tucutí, Panama
+534 birds+13 mammals
Where the spine of Central America crumbles into wetland and rainforest, Darién National Park sprawls across more than 20,000 square kilometres of some of the tropics'…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPortobelo National Park
Portobelo, Panama
+366 birds+9 mammals
Where the Caribbean's turquoise waters meet the Darién's verdant shore, Portobelo National Park sprawls across 570 square kilometers of coastal forest, mangrove wetland, and coral-fringed islands…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Internacional la Amistad
Teribe, Panama
+325 birds+11 mammals
Where the continental divide rises between the Caribbean and Pacific watersheds, a wilderness of extraordinary biological richness unfolds across the Talamanca Range and into lowland rainforest—a…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKZemo Svaneti Planned National Park
Hamashi-Totoleshi, Georgia
+159 birds+6 mammals
Where granite peaks pierce the clouds above the Caucasus, sweeping alpine meadows give way to pristine beech and spruce forests that have remained largely untouched for…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBosques de Plan
San Juan de Plan, Spain
+124 birds+4 mammals
Where granite peaks plunge into beech and fir forests, the Pyrenean valleys of Bosques de Plan unfold in dramatic tiers of ancient woodland. This wilderness in…
VIEW FOREST & JUNGLERegional Park of the Catalan Pyrenees
Olette, France
+244 birds+63 mammals
Where granite peaks thrust skyward above cloud-laden valleys, a wild tapestry of Mediterranean and alpine ecosystems interweaves across the Franco-Spanish frontier. These Pyrenean slopes harbour extraordinary…
VIEW NATURE RESERVECairngorms National Park
Muir, United Kingdom
+192 birds+31 mammals
Where ancient granite massifs rise above the Scottish Highlands, a subarctic wilderness unfolds across 1,748 square kilometres of raw, elemental terrain. Windswept plateaus give way to…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLoch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park
Duchray, United Kingdom
+188 birds+40 mammals
Where ancient woodlands rise from glassy lochs and rugged Highland peaks pierce the lowland horizon, Scotland's most biodiverse landscape unfolds across 720 square kilometres of wild…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDirigida Laguna de Gallocanta Nature Reserve
Las Cuerlas, Spain
+250 birds+7 mammals
Where continental steppe meets the vast mirror of inland water, Spain's largest natural lagoon reveals a landscape of haunting beauty. The shallow alkaline lake, cradled in…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEVratsa Balkan
Zgorigrad, Bulgaria
+128 birds+10 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge into deep river canyons and beech forests give way to rocky karst plateaus, one of Bulgaria's most dramatic mountain landscapes unfolds across…
VIEW NATURE RESERVESoomaa National Park
Viljandi County, Estonia
+172 birds+20 mammals
Across the boglands of south-central Estonia, where water dominates more than half the landscape, lies one of northern Europe's most hydrologically dynamic national parks. The terrain…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLahemaa National Park
Lääne-Viru County, Estonia
+237 birds+25 mammals
Where the Baltic coast meets temperate forest in northwestern Estonia, Lahemaa National Park sprawls across more than 1,300 square kilometers of deeply character-filled terrain. Coastal wetlands…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMontes de Málaga Natural Park
Málaga, Spain
+159 birds+7 mammals
Where cork oak and pine forest sweep across the rugged hills inland from the Costa del Sol, the Montes de Málaga Nature Park unfolds as a…
VIEW NATURAL PARKPorts Natural Park
Alfara de Carles, Spain
+157 birds+13 mammals
Where the eastern Catalan ranges descend toward the Mediterranean, a sprawling mosaic of Mediterranean scrubland, pine woodland, and rocky limestone terrain defines Ports Natural Park, a…
VIEW NATURAL PARKSierra y Cañones de Guara Natural Park
Casbas de Huesca/Casbas de Uesca, Spain
+175 birds+10 mammals
Where limestone gorges slice through the pre-Pyrenean foothills of Aragon, the Sierra y Cañones de Guara sprawls across nearly 940 square kilometers of one of Spain's…
VIEW NATURE RESERVESerra de Mariola Natural Park
Bocairent, Spain
+164 birds+19 mammals
Where limestone ridges rise above the Valencian interior, Serra de Mariola unfolds across 225 square kilometers of Mediterranean mountain terrain that shifts between dense evergreen woodland,…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEEstrecho Natural Park
Pedro Valiente, Spain
+281 birds+20 mammals
Where Mediterranean pine forests meet wind-sculpted coastal cliffs, one of Europe's most dynamic ecological crossroads unfolds across the Strait of Gibraltar. Spanning 686 square kilometers of…
VIEW NATURAL PARKCapçaleres del Ter i del Freser Natural Park
La Farga, Spain
+125 birds+20 mammals
Where the eastern Pyrenees yield their first waters, granite gorges slice through dense forests of beech and fir, creating one of Catalonia's most hydrologically vital landscapes.…
VIEW NATURAL PARKSt. Paul Island
Saint Paul, United States
+255 birds+8 mammals
Windswept tundra rolls across this remote Pribilof island, where volcanic basalt cliffs plunge into the Bering Sea and fog rolls in thick enough to erase the…
VIEW PROTECTED LANDSCAPEYugyd Va National Park
Vuktyl Municipal District, Russia
+37 birds+3 mammals
Where granite massifs pierce the boreal wilderness of Russia's far northeast, Yugyd Va sprawls across one of Europe's largest intact forest ecosystems. Spanning nearly 54,000 square…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKZakaznik Stepnoy/Tinguta
Лиманский муниципальный округ, Russia
+52 birds+3 mammals
Where the Volga Delta meets the Caspian steppe, roughly 1,205 square kilometres of protected landscape unfold across Liman Municipality in Astrakhan Oblast—a mosaic of reed beds,…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSila National Park
San Giovanni in Fiore, Italy
+125 birds+11 mammals
Where the Calabrian Apennines rise inland from the Ionian coast, Sila National Park preserves a landscape of high plateaus and beech-dominated forests that feel more Central…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCirceo National Park
Italy
+232 birds+6 mammals
Where limestone headlands plunge toward the Tyrrhenian Sea, Circeo National Park preserves a rare mosaic of Mediterranean coastal habitats that few Italian reserves can match. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKStelvio National Park
Valfurva, Italy
+116 birds+17 mammals
Where granite peaks rise above three thousand metres and alpine meadows give way to rocky scree, Stelvio National Park guards one of Europe's most dramatically vertical…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTuscan Archipelago National Park
Rio, Italy
+174 birds+8 mammals
Where the Tyrrhenian Sea fragments into granite and schist islands, the Arcipelago Toscano National Park protects one of the Mediterranean's most biodiverse maritime realms. Scattered across…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGargano National Park
Cagnano Varano, Italy
+219 birds+7 mammals
Where the Gargano Peninsula's limestone plateaus descend toward the Adriatic, Cagnano Varano sits at the threshold of one of southern Italy's most ecologically vital landscapes. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBieszczady National Park
Bieszczady County, Poland
+131 birds+16 mammals
Where the Carpathian foothills roll across southeastern Poland, a vast upland wilderness of beech and spruce forest unfolds across nearly 1,575 square kilometres, sheltering one of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWolin National Park
Kamień County, Poland
+232 birds+21 mammals
Where the Baltic shoreline meets vast wetland complexes and Pleistocene woodlands, Wolin National Park unfolds across nearly 440 square kilometres of northwestern Poland's most biodiverse terrain.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSłowiński National Park
Smołdzino, Poland
+217 birds+16 mammals
Where the Baltic shoreline surrenders to vast inland dunes and freshwater lagoons, Słowiński National Park spans nearly 610 square kilometres of one of Europe's most dynamic…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBiebrza National Park
Goniądz, Poland
+242 birds+33 mammals
Where the Narew River sprawls across northeastern Poland's flatlands, Biebrza National Park unfolds as one of Europe's largest and most ecologically vital wetland complexes. Encompassing roughly…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBiałowieża National Park
Bialowieza, Poland
+177 birds+23 mammals
Straddling the border between Poland and Belarus, this primordial forest landscape encompasses one of Europe's last remaining expanses of old-growth woodland, where ancient trees rise through…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLagunas de Montebello National Park
Laguna de Montebello, Mexico
+360 birds+2 mammals
Where turquoise lagoons pierce the limestone plateau of southeastern Chiapas, the Lagunas de Montebello National Park unfolds across roughly 174 square kilometers of spectral water and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSian Ka’an
Chunyaxché, Mexico
+350 birds+16 mammals
Where the Yucatán Peninsula dissolves into wetland and mangrove, a vast mosaic of forest, lagoon, and coastal margin creates one of Mexico's most biodiverse strongholds. Across…
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVEEl Vizcaíno
Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico
+317 birds+29 mammals
Where the Baja California peninsula thins into a tapestry of salt lagoons and coastal desert, one of Mexico's most biodiverse reserves sprawls across half a million…
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVESierra de Tamaulipas
El Porvenir, Mexico
+98 birds+19 mammals
Where limestone peaks thrust skyward through dense subtropical forest, Mexico's northeastern frontier reveals one of the continent's most biodiverse mountain ranges. Canyons carved by perennial rivers…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEParque Nacional Cerro de la Estrella
Mexico
+126 birds+4 mammals
Where volcanic peaks rise sharply above Mexico City's sprawling metropolis, Parque Nacional Cerro de la Estrella offers a rare glimpse of high-altitude terrain within one of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Isla Isabel
Santiago Ixcuintla, Mexico
+107 birds+2 mammals
A volcanic island sanctuary rises from the Pacific waters off Nayarit's coast, where three dormant cones define a landscape of sharp ridges, coastal cliffs, and sheltered…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKParque Nacional Arrecife Alacranes
Chicxulub, Mexico
+93 birds
Coral formations rise from turquoise shallows off the Yucatán Peninsula, their limestone skeletons built over millennia into a living archipelago where the Caribbean meets the Gulf…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMontes Azules
Candelaria, Mexico
+395 birds+47 mammals
Where jungle-clad limestone plateaus plunge into canyon systems carved by the Usumacinta River, Mexico's most pristine rainforest reserve unfolds across the Lacandón region of Chiapas. Montes…
VIEW BIOSPHERE RESERVESkomer Island
Haverfordwest, United Kingdom
+177 birds+5 mammals
Where the Irish Sea crashes against the Welsh coast, wind-scoured cliffs rise dramatically from churning waters, creating one of Britain's most pristine island sanctuaries. Skomer Island's…
VIEW ISLAND & ARCHIPELAGOLemmenjoki National Park
Inari, Finland
+87 birds+1 mammals
Where granite gorges cut through pristine boreal forest and the Lemmenjoki River winds through one of Europe's last great wilderness corridors, Finland's Arctic heart reveals itself…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTombstone Territorial Park
Dawson City, Canada
+150 birds+17 mammals
Where granite peaks pierce the Yukon sky and tundra stretches endlessly toward the Arctic horizon, the Tombstone Range commands attention with uncompromising beauty. This subarctic wilderness…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEAltai Tavan Bogd National Park
Tsengel, Mongolia
+146 birds+3 mammals
Where the Altai Mountains rise in jagged defiance along Mongolia's western frontier, the terrain transforms into a realm of alpine tundra, rocky plateaus, and glacier-carved valleys…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKHustai National Park
Altanbulag, Mongolia
+198 birds+16 mammals
Where the steppe rolls endlessly beneath vast Mongolian skies, Hustai National Park preserves one of Central Asia's most dynamic grassland ecosystems. Rolling hills and open prairie…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKhoridol Saridag National Park
Khatgal, Mongolia
+164 birds+6 mammals
Where granite peaks thrust skyward across Mongolia's remote southeastern reaches, a landscape of raw geological drama unfolds. Deep river gorges carved through ancient stone create a…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPindos National Park
Ioannina Regional Unit, Greece
+163 birds+12 mammals
Where limestone peaks rise abruptly from the Pindus range in northwestern Greece, a landscape of dramatic gorges, alpine meadows, and dense beech forests creates one of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKOlympos National Park
Pieria Regional Unit, Greece
+137 birds+3 mammals
Where the Thessalian plains give way to soaring limestone massifs, Olympos National Park rises as one of the Aegean's most dramatic mountain wilderness areas. This IUCN…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKerkini Lake National Park
Serres, Greece
+291 birds+18 mammals
Where the Strymon River widens into a sprawling freshwater lake hemmed by the Rhodope Mountains, Kerkini National Park unfolds across northern Greece as one of southeastern…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBadlands National Park
Wall, United States
+200 birds+14 mammals
Eroded badlands rise in jagged formations across northwestern South Dakota, where the White River has carved deep canyons through layers of sedimentary rock spanning millions of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKColl de Pal
La Molina, Spain
+142 birds+12 mammals
Where the eastern Pyrenees descend into Catalonia, alpine meadows and rocky slopes define the character of this mountain pass, a threshold between the high Iberian interior…
VIEW MOUNTAIN & ALPINETikal National Park
Tikal, Guatemala
+399 birds+16 mammals
Dense rainforest canopy rises above the limestone plateau of Petén, where archaeological wonder and ecological richness merge seamlessly across one of Central America's most biodiverse landscapes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLaguna del Tigre National Park
Petén, Guatemala
+399 birds+29 mammals
Where the Petén lowlands dissolve into wetland and forest, Laguna del Tigre National Park protects one of Guatemala's most ecologically vital landscapes. This sprawling reserve encompasses…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKSierra del Lacandón National Park
Petén, Guatemala
+348 birds+7 mammals
Where the Petén rainforest rises into limestone ridges and deep ravines, Sierra del Lacandón National Park protects one of Central America's most intact tropical wilderness zones.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCabo Peñas
Susacasa, Spain
+303 birds+21 mammals
Where sea cliffs rise sheer from the Bay of Biscay, Susacasa's observation point commands one of Asturias's most dramatic coastal vistas. The landscape here is defined…
VIEW OBSERVATION POINTPort-Cros National Park
Hyères, France
+271 birds+29 mammals
Where Mediterranean granite islands rise from crystalline waters off the Provençal coast, Port-Cros National Park protects one of Europe's most intact marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPyrénées National Park
Hautes Pyrenees, France
+150 birds+35 mammals
Where alpine meadows give way to limestone cliffs and rushing torrents carve through ancient stone, the Pyrénées National Park spans a landscape of austere beauty along…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCalanques National Park
Bouches-du-Rhône, France
+233 birds+42 mammals
Where limestone cliffs plunge dramatically into crystalline Mediterranean waters, Calanques National Park preserves one of Europe's most striking coastal landscapes. These steep-sided inlets, carved by erosion…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKAlta Murgia National Park
Bari, Italy
+168 birds+6 mammals
Across the limestone plateaux of Apulia's interior, where the Adriatic's influence fades into continental warmth, lies a landscape sculpted by millennia of human pastoralism and Mediterranean…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCinque Terre National Park
Riomaggiore, Italy
+135 birds+1 mammals
Steep terraced cliffs plunge toward the Ligurian Sea where five villages cling to a Csb-climate coastline shaped by centuries of viticulture and stone masonry. Riomaggiore, the…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKYancheng National Nature Reserve
Yancheng, China
+208 birds+4 mammals
Where the East China Sea's tidal rhythms sculpt the Jiangsu coast, Yancheng National Nature Reserve sprawls across one of Asia's most dynamic wetland complexes. This vast…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEPoyang Lake National Nature Reserve
Shangrao, China
+270 birds+7 mammals
Where the Yangtze River's massive floodplain spreads across central China, Poyang Lake National Nature Reserve encompasses one of the continent's most dynamic and water-rich wetland systems.…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEAcadia National Park
Bar Harbor, United States
+291 birds+27 mammals
Where the Maine coast rises in granite cliffs and spruce-clad headlands, Acadia National Park unfolds across Mount Desert Island and its surrounding waters, a landscape carved…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBiscayne National Park
Miami-Dade County, United States
+263 birds+7 mammals
Coral reefs and mangrove shallows dominate this marine sanctuary where the Florida Keys meet the Atlantic, creating a mosaic of shallow seagrass meadows, patch reefs, and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKBryce Canyon National Park
Tropic, United States
+202 birds+20 mammals
Hoodoos rise like a forest of stone pillars from an amphitheater carved into Utah's high plateau, where the Paunsaugunt elevates the landscape to over 9,000 feet…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKChannel Islands National Park
Santa Barbara County, United States
+330 birds+15 mammals
A chain of eight volcanic islands rises from the cold Pacific waters off the California coast, their rugged sea cliffs and windswept terrain shaped by millions…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCongaree National Park
Richland County, United States
+205 birds+12 mammals
Where the Congaree River winds through the lowlands of South Carolina, an old-growth bottomland forest of extraordinary character rises from a landscape shaped by seasonal floods…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCuyahoga Valley National Park
Brecksville, United States
+255 birds+27 mammals
Where the Cuyahoga River carves through a glaciated landscape of Ohio, the valley reveals a temperate deciduous forest ecosystem shaped by four distinct seasons and reliable…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKDry Tortugas National Park
Monroe County, United States
+211 birds+1 mammals
Seventy miles west of Key West, where the Gulf of Mexico surrenders to the Atlantic, lies a constellation of low coral keys that rise barely above…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGlacier National Park
United States
+246 birds+39 mammals
Where jagged peaks pierce a subarctic sky and glacial valleys carve through ancient rock, Glacier National Park spans the spine of the Northern Rockies along Montana's…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGrand Canyon National Park
United States
+277 birds+35 mammals
A mile-deep chasm of rust-red rock and purple shadow cuts through the high desert plateau of northern Arizona, revealing nearly two billion years of geological history…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKGuadalupe Mountains National Park
Culberson County, United States
+262 birds+14 mammals
Where fossil-laden limestone ridges thrust skyward above the Chihuahuan Desert floor, Guadalupe Mountains National Park reveals a landscape sculpted by ancient seas and relentless aridity. These…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKHot Springs National Park
Hot Springs, United States
+168 birds+8 mammals
Thermal waters rising from deep within the Ouachita Mountains have carved a landscape unlike anywhere else in the continental United States, where 47 natural hot springs…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKIsle Royale National Park
Keweenaw County, United States
+197 birds+9 mammals
Across Lake Superior's cold waters lies an island wilderness where boreal forest meets rocky shoreline, a place where the climate refuses to yield easy comfort. Isle…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKKobuk Valley National Park
United States
+80 birds+6 mammals
Arctic tundra sweeps across Kobuk Valley in northwestern Alaska, where permafrost underlies a treeless landscape of sedges, dwarf shrubs, and low herbaceous vegetation shaped by an…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLake Clark National Park
United States
+158 birds+11 mammals
Where subarctic tundra meets volcanic terrain and pristine waterways, Lake Clark National Park unfolds across southwestern Alaska as a landscape carved by ice age glaciers and…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKNorth Cascades National Park
Whatcom County, United States
+120 birds+18 mammals
Jagged peaks rise abruptly from the western foothills of Washington's Cascade Range, where glaciers cling to elevations above 10,000 feet and meltwater feeds a landscape of…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPetrified Forest National Park
Apache County, United States
+206 birds+23 mammals
Across the high desert plateau of northeastern Arizona, where the climate swings between scorching summer days and frost-laden winters, badlands of raw earth and timber-turned-to-stone dominate…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKShenandoah National Park
Page County, United States
+243 birds+31 mammals
Ridges of ancient quartzite rise above the Shenandoah Valley floor, their slopes dressed in a mosaic of oak and hickory forest that yields to cove hardwoods…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKVirgin Islands National Park
Cruz Bay, United States
+119 birds+3 mammals
Coral reef and mangrove ecosystems define the tropical maritime landscape of this national park, where St. John's mountainous spine rises sharply from turquoise bays fringed with…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWhite Sands National Park
Otero County, United States
+178 birds+6 mammals
Across the Tularosa Basin in south-central New Mexico sprawls an otherworldly landscape of gypsum dunes—the largest gypsum field on Earth and a stark desert playground shaped…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKWind Cave National Park
Custer County, United States
+175 birds+13 mammals
Beneath the rolling prairie of the Black Hills, a network of passages carved through limestone creates one of North America's most extensive cave systems. Wind Cave…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKArctic National Wildlife Refuge
Arctic Village, United States
+132 birds+15 mammals
Across the northernmost reaches of Alaska's Unorganized Borough, where the Brooks Range rises from the coastal plain and tundra spreads endlessly toward the Arctic Ocean, lies…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYKodiak National Wildlife Refuge
United States
+221 birds+22 mammals
Where temperate rainforest meets subarctic coast, Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge sprawls across Alaska's largest island, a sanctuary defined by steep valleys carved by tidewater glaciers and…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYKenai National Wildlife Refuge
United States
+152 birds+16 mammals
Across Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, where glacial valleys descend toward the Cook Inlet and the Gulf of Alaska, lies one of North America's most expansive subarctic wildlife…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYAlaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Alaska, United States
+391 birds+58 mammals
Where the North Pacific collides with Alaska's rugged coastline, a sprawling archipelago of islands, rocky outcrops, and coastal headlands forms one of North America's most remote…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYYukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge
Bethel, United States
+156 birds+12 mammals
Across the Yukon Delta sprawls one of North America's most expansive coastal wetland sanctuaries, where the boreal subarctic climate strips down existence to essentials. This vast…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYIzembek National Wildlife Refuge
Cold Bay, United States
+138 birds+9 mammals
Where the Aleutian archipelago reaches westward into the Bering Sea, subarctic tundra and shallow coastal waters converge to create one of Alaska's most ecologically vital wildlife…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBecharof National Wildlife Refuge
United States
+146 birds+2 mammals
Across southwestern Alaska's windswept lowlands, where the Bristol Bay watershed spills into vast tidal flats and sedge marshes, lies one of North America's most pristine subarctic…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYKoyukuk National Wildlife Refuge
United States
+105 birds+2 mammals
Boreal wetlands and spruce forests define this vast sanctuary in central Alaska's Unorganized Borough, where slow rivers wind through a landscape shaped by subarctic climate extremes.…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYSelawik National Wildlife Refuge
Selawik, United States
+43 birds+6 mammals
Across northwestern Alaska, where the Arctic tundra transitions into boreal wetland mosaics, lies a vast sanctuary where water dominates the landscape as thoroughly as land. Selawik…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge
Socorro County, United States
+345 birds+17 mammals
Where the Rio Grande emerges from its desert canyon in central New Mexico, a narrow ribbon of riparian woodland defies the arid landscape that surrounds it.…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYJ.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Sanibel, United States
+277 birds+6 mammals
Mangrove channels and coastal marshlands dominate this 6,400-acre sanctuary on Florida's Gulf coast, where brackish waterways weave between dense stands of red, black, and white mangrove…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYMerritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Brevard County, United States
+341 birds+19 mammals
Brackish marshes and palmetto scrub define this wildlife sanctuary spanning the coastal lowlands of central Florida, where the Atlantic tide meets freshwater systems in a dynamic…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYOkefenokee National Wildlife Refuge
Charlton County, United States
+206 birds+14 mammals
Vast wetlands of cypress and blackwater creeks define this wildlife sanctuary straddling the Georgia–Florida border, where the landscape shifts between open marsh, dense swamp forest, and…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYChincoteague National Wildlife Refuge
Chincoteague, United States
+362 birds+16 mammals
Across the barrier islands and salt marshes of Virginia's Eastern Shore, where Atlantic tides sculpt an intricate mosaic of sandy spits and tidal flats, lies one…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYWichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge
Medicine Park, United States
+256 birds+17 mammals
Granite peaks rise abruptly from rolling prairie in southwestern Oklahoma, where the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge protects a rare collision of ecosystems. This sanctuary encompasses…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYLaguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
Cameron County, United States
+365 birds+19 mammals
Where coastal prairie meets shallow lagoon along the southernmost tip of Texas, Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Sanctuary sprawls across a landscape sculpted by salt spray and…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYLower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge
Starbase, United States
+311 birds+11 mammals
Where the Rio Grande delta spreads across the coastal plain of South Texas, a sanctuary of subtropical wetlands and riparian corridors creates a landscape that pulses…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYHavasu National Wildlife Refuge
Lake Havasu City, United States
+291 birds+8 mammals
Where the Colorado River widens into a vast reservoir in the Sonoran Desert, Havasu National Wildlife Sanctuary protects one of the most critical wetland ecosystems in…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYImperial National Wildlife Refuge
La Paz County, United States
+222 birds+4 mammals
Where the Colorado River carves through the Sonoran Desert in southwestern Arizona, Imperial National Wildlife Sanctuary unfolds across a landscape shaped by water and aridity. The…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYMalheur National Wildlife Refuge
Harney County, United States
+309 birds+24 mammals
Across the high desert plateau of southeastern Oregon, where sagebrush scrubland stretches toward distant ridgelines under an enormous sky, lies a sanctuary shaped by water in…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYKlamath Marsh National Wildlife Refuge
Klamath County, United States
+219 birds+7 mammals
Where the volcanic plateau of south-central Oregon slopes into a broad, shallow basin lies one of the Pacific Northwest's most underappreciated wetland sanctuaries. Klamath Marsh National…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYUpper Klamath National Wildlife Refuge
Klamath County, United States
+217 birds
Where shallow marshes and open water meet the high desert of south-central Oregon, the Upper Klamath National Wildlife Sanctuary creates a landscape of startling contrasts. Fed…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYTule Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Siskiyou County, United States
+255 birds+9 mammals
Across the high volcanic plateau of northeastern California, where summer heat scorches the alkali flats and winter winds sweep unobstructed through open water and marsh, Tule…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYSacramento National Wildlife Refuge
Glenn County, United States
+247 birds+13 mammals
Across the flat expanse of Glenn County's Sacramento Valley, shallow pools and seasonal marshes create one of California's most vital wetland sanctuaries—a landscape shaped by water…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYSan Luis National Wildlife Refuge
Merced County, United States
+219 birds+14 mammals
Across the floor of California's San Joaquin Valley, where semi-arid grasslands meet shallow seasonal wetlands, San Luis National Wildlife Sanctuary preserves a critical mosaic of habitats…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYDon Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Fremont, United States
+286 birds+20 mammals
Where the San Francisco Bay's shallow margins dissolve into tidal salt marshes and mudflats, this wildlife sanctuary preserves one of California's most ecologically vital estuarine systems.…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYFarallon National Wildlife Refuge
San Francisco, United States
+384 birds+16 mammals
Windswept granite peaks rising abruptly from the Pacific, the Farallon Islands form a wildlife sanctuary of extraordinary seabird abundance and ecological significance just twenty-seven miles west…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYSalton Sea National Wildlife Refuge
Imperial County, United States
+289 birds+4 mammals
Across the floor of California's inland desert, where summer temperatures soar and rainfall is measured in tenths of inches, lies an improbable oasis of shallow water…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBear River Migratory Bird Refuge
Box Elder County, United States
+254 birds+9 mammals
Where the Bear River winds through the semi-arid basin country of northwestern Utah, a sprawling wildlife sanctuary transforms the high desert into a haven for migratory…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYSeedskadee National Wildlife Refuge
Sweetwater County, United States
+209 birds+8 mammals
Where the Green River carves through the high-desert basin of southwestern Wyoming, Seedskadee National Wildlife Sanctuary preserves one of the West's most vital riparian corridors. The…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYNational Elk Refuge
Jackson, United States
+230 birds+27 mammals
Where the sagebrush flats of northwestern Wyoming rise toward the Gros Ventre Mountains, winter transforms the landscape into a realm of survival and spectacle. The National…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYCharles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge
Murray Place, United States
+37 birds
Across the high plains of north-central Montana, where grasslands roll toward the Missouri River breaks, sprawls a semi-arid sanctuary shaped by millennia of wind, water, and…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYRed Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge
Beaverhead County, United States
+216 birds+10 mammals
Where the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem's northern reaches meet the high plateaus of southwestern Montana, a network of glacial lakes and wetlands sustains one of the continent's…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Chaves County, United States
+284 birds+10 mammals
Across the high desert floor of southeastern New Mexico, where elevation and aridity shape every living thing, shallow alkaline lakes and marshes form an unexpected oasis…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYWheeler National Wildlife Refuge
Triana, United States
+268 birds+10 mammals
Shallow impoundments and meandering channels spread across northern Alabama's humid subtropical landscape, where Wheeler National Wildlife Sanctuary anchors a critical junction of wetland and woodland habitat.…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Kent County, United States
+323 birds+15 mammals
Tidal marshes and brackish shallows define this sanctuary on Delaware's Atlantic coast, where the meeting of freshwater and salt creates some of the Mid-Atlantic's most dynamic…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBlackwater National Wildlife Refuge
Fishing Creek, United States
+293 birds+15 mammals
Tidal marshes and brackish waterways define this wildlife sanctuary where the Chesapeake Bay's influence reshapes the landscape with every rise and fall of the water. Shallow…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYAlligator River National Wildlife Refuge
Dare County, United States
+288 birds+17 mammals
Where the coastal plain of North Carolina meets the Albemarle Peninsula, a sprawling mosaic of freshwater marshes, pocosins, and swamp forest creates one of the Atlantic…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYPelican Island National Wildlife Refuge
Windsor, United States
+265 birds+4 mammals
Where Florida's Indian River widens into a brackish estuary, a small island sanctuary commands the attention of waterbirds across the Atlantic Flyway. Pelican Island National Wildlife…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYGreat White Heron National Wildlife Refuge
Monroe County, United States
+118 birds+3 mammals
Shallow mangrove bays and salt-marsh flats sprawl across Monroe County's coastal sanctuary, where brackish water meets the Florida Keys' distinctive transition zone between temperate and subtropical…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYCedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge
Levy County, United States
+268 birds+8 mammals
Where the Florida Gulf Coast transitions from mainland to archipelago, Cedar Keys National Wildlife Sanctuary protects a mosaic of salt marshes, shallow estuaries, and maritime hammocks…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYChassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge
Homosassa, United States
+299 birds+14 mammals
Where the Gulf of Mexico's coastal marshes dissolve into brackish tidal flats and mangrove thickets, the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Sanctuary near Homosassa represents one of Florida's…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYCarara National Park
Tárcoles, Costa Rica
+397 birds+19 mammals
Where the Pacific coastal plain meets transitional forest, Carara National Park straddles one of Central America's most dynamic ecological boundaries. The park's landscape encompasses lowland deciduous…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKPalo Verde National Park
Bagaces, Costa Rica
+318 birds+24 mammals
Dry forest spreads across Palo Verde's low-lying terrain in northwestern Guanacaste, where seasonal rivers and lagoons etch through deciduous woodland that sheds its canopy each winter.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLos Quetzales National Park
Copey, Costa Rica
+232 birds+3 mammals
Cloud forest sweeps across the upper slopes of the Central Valley watershed, where elevation and persistent moisture forge an ecosystem unlike any other in Costa Rica.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCahuita National Park
Talamanca, Costa Rica
+359 birds+15 mammals
Where the Caribbean shoreline dissolves into mangrove creeks and coral gardens, Cahuita's mosaic of habitats unfolds across the Limón coast. The park's signature feature—a living coral…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKRincón de la Vieja National Park
Liberia, Costa Rica
+451 birds+30 mammals
Where volcanic slopes rise abruptly from the Guanacaste lowlands, Rincón de la Vieja National Park sprawls across a landscape shaped by geothermal drama and seasonal extremes.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKTapantí Macizo de la Muerte National Park
Orosi, Costa Rica
+503 birds+18 mammals
Where montane cloud forest rises steeply from the Orosi Valley, Tapantí Macizo de la Muerte National Park enfolds a landscape of perpetual moisture and emerald complexity.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKLa Amistad International Park
Crorina, Costa Rica
+532 birds+20 mammals
Where the Caribbean slopes of Costa Rica's Talamanca Mountains rise steeply inland from Limón, the boundary between two nations dissolves into an unbroken expanse of rainforest.…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKMarino Ballena National Park
Bahía Ballena, Costa Rica
+336 birds+8 mammals
Where mangrove forests meet coral-fringed shorelines along Costa Rica's southern Pacific coast, Marino Ballena National Park encompasses a marine and terrestrial mosaic that ranks among Central…
VIEW NATIONAL PARKCaño Negro National Wildlife Refuge
Caño Negro District, Costa Rica
+486 birds+16 mammals
Where the San Juan River's seasonal floodplain opens into expansive wetlands, Caño Negro Wildlife Sanctuary sprawls across one of Central America's most productive freshwater ecosystems. This…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYGandoca-Manzanillo National Wildlife Refuge
Manzanillo, Costa Rica
+394 birds+18 mammals
Where the Caribbean coastal plain surrenders to water-logged forest and mangrove tangles, Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Sanctuary shelters one of Costa Rica's most biodiverse lowland wetland ecosystems. The…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYBarra del Colorado National Wildlife Refuge
Tortuguero, Costa Rica
+462 birds+36 mammals
Where the Caribbean's restless waters meet the Limón Province coastline, Barra del Colorado National Wildlife Sanctuary unfolds across a landscape of extraordinary ecological complexity. This equatorial…
VIEW WILDLIFE SANCTUARYLindisfarne National Nature Reserve
Holy Island, United Kingdom
+240 birds+13 mammals
Windswept tidal flats and rocky outcrops define this reserve on Holy Island, where the North Sea's relentless rhythm shapes both landscape and wildlife. The terrain shifts…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEHolkham National Nature Reserve
North Norfolk, United Kingdom
+235 birds+11 mammals
Where Norfolk's coastal flatlands meet the North Sea, Holkham National Nature Reserve unfolds across nearly 4,000 hectares of some of England's most dynamic and least predictable…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEThe Lizard National Nature Reserve
Garras, United Kingdom
+120 birds+2 mammals
Where windswept moorlands meet rocky outcrops along Cornwall's dramatic southern coast, the Lizard National Nature Reserve unfolds as one of southwest England's most ecologically distinctive landscapes.…
VIEW NATURE RESERVECaerlaverock National Nature Reserve
Carsethorn, United Kingdom
+109 birds+16 mammals
Where the Solway Firth meets the Scottish coast, saltmarsh and mudflat create a landscape shaped by tidal rhythms and temperate maritime climate. Caerlaverock's mosaic of habitats—brackish…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEForsinard Flows National Nature Reserve
Highland, United Kingdom
+35 birds+7 mammals
Across the Flow Country of northern Scotland, vast blankets of blanket bog stretch toward the horizon in seemingly endless waves of heather, cotton grass, and sphagnum…
VIEW NATURE RESERVERum National Nature Reserve
Isle Of Rum, United Kingdom
+112 birds+8 mammals
Where the Inner Hebrides rise from the Atlantic, Rum's landscape embodies the raw drama of Scotland's northwest. Steep ridges and volcanic plateaus dominate this island nature…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEHermaness National Nature Reserve
Shetland, United Kingdom
+86 birds+3 mammals
At the northern tip of Unst, the northernmost inhabited island of Shetland, sea cliffs of weathered sandstone and basalt rise dramatically from the North Sea, their…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEInsh Marshes National Nature Reserve
Insh, United Kingdom
+120 birds+14 mammals
Shallow channels and open water weave through expansive reedbeds and wet grassland where the River Spey meanders across the Cairngorms foothills in the Scottish Highlands. Insh…
VIEW NATURE RESERVENewport Wetlands National Nature Reserve
Goldcliff, United Kingdom
+153 birds+7 mammals
Across the Severn Estuary's southern reaches, where the Gwent Levels meet tidal mud and reedbed in a mosaic of wet grassland and shallow pools, lies one…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEDyfi National Nature Reserve
Aberdyfi, United Kingdom
+148 birds+25 mammals
Where the River Dyfi widens into a broad coastal basin, a 2,400-hectare mosaic of saltmarsh, reedbed, mudflat and freshwater wetland spreads across the Cardigan Bay estuary…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEGreat Orme National Nature Reserve
Llandudno, United Kingdom
+113 birds+7 mammals
Limestone cliffs rise dramatically from the Irish Sea along the Conwy coast, their windswept summits offering sanctuary to a mosaic of heathland, grassland and rocky outcrops…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEBerwyn National Nature Reserve
Llangywer, United Kingdom
+77 birds+11 mammals
Where the Berwyn Mountains rise across the borderlands of north Wales, upland moorland and mixed woodland create a landscape of profound ecological richness, shaped by oceanic…
VIEW NATURE RESERVESeven Sisters National Nature Reserve
Eastbourne, United Kingdom
+190 birds+15 mammals
Where the South Downs meet the English Channel, the chalk cliffs of Seven Sisters rise in a dramatic sequence of white promontories that have shaped both…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEThe Wash National Nature Reserve
King's Lynn and West Norfolk, United Kingdom
+141 birds+3 mammals
Where the North Sea meets the Norfolk coast, The Wash sprawls as one of Britain's most extensive estuarine systems—a vast, restless realm of mudflats, saltmarsh, and…
VIEW NATURE RESERVECors Fochno National Nature Reserve
Borth, United Kingdom
+179 birds+27 mammals
Where the Dovey Estuary opens to the Irish Sea, a sprawling wetland mosaic of reedbed, fen and mire transforms the coastal flats of mid-Wales into one…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEYnys-hir National Nature Reserve
Machynlleth, United Kingdom
+149 birds+5 mammals
Where the River Einig winds through the lowland valleys of mid-Wales, Ynys-hir National Nature Reserve unfolds as a mosaic of wet grassland, reedbed, and riparian woodland…
VIEW NATURE RESERVEPurbeck Heaths National Nature Reserve
Norden, United Kingdom
+143 birds+8 mammals
Across the gently undulating plateau of Dorset's heathlands, Purbeck's ancient landscape unfolds as a mosaic of heather, gorse, and scattered pines—a habitat shaped by millennia of…
VIEW NATURE RESERVENo community photos yet. Log in to add the first one.
No community observations of this species yet.