Common Green Darner

A perched Common Green Darner can be hard to see, even when you are looking right at one. This female, from last summer, was resting in the Whitetail Woods County Park in Dakota County, Minnesota.

As its name suggests, this dragonfly is common across most of North America. The species migrates south into Central America. They arrive in the north well before local dragonflies have emerged. Their migration is cued by warm fronts (DragonflyID app). After breeding, they head south, sometimes in large numbers. Common Green Darners are an important component of many bird diets, including those of American Kestrels, nighthawks, and Purple Martins.