We need your help finding and reporting Common Green Darners as they arrive after a long migration. You can join and then report your sightings on our Northeast Darner Flight Watch iNaturalist project or at Odonata Central. It is easy and fun!
three EASY STEPS FOR participating in darner flight watch
1. If you’re new to dragons, take a moment to learn how to identify Common Green Darners.
Learning how to identify over 100 species found in the Northeast can take some time. But we promise, with just a few minutes of study, most everyone can learn to identify a Common Green Darner. Visit our field guide and in 15 minutes, you’ll be ready to spot your first darner skimming across the pond!
2. Search the skies for Common Green Darners
At nearly 3 inches long with a wingspan of 4 inches, this is the largest dragonfly in North America. It is also one of the first dragonflies to be spotted in our skies in the spring. It can be found anywhere on arrival—backyards, fields, rivers, but mostly above a pond or lake. Always keep an eye on the sky when you are outside! But, the best way to participate in this project is to regularly visit a pond or lake shore near you and scan for flying dragons.
3. Share Your Observations
Join our Northeast Darner Flight Watch iNaturalist project and then report all of your Common Green Darner sightings. New to iNaturalist? Visit the getting started page. Remember, Common Green Darners fly fast and rarely land while you are watching them. Even a bad photograph can help the observation get confirmed on iNaturalist. But even if you don’t have a photograph, please report your sighting to the project. All observations are valuable for this study!
