Black Bear vs Grizzly

Color is the worst clue. Black bears can be black, cinnamon or even white, and grizzlies vary too, so park agencies say not to use color. The reliable marks are body shape, face and ears. A grizzly's shoulders carry a prominent hump of muscle used for digging, and its profile dips between the eyes and snout.

Size helps only a little. A male grizzly in the Canadian Rockies averages about 150 to 300 kilograms and a male black bear about 80 to 150, but female grizzlies and male black bears can weigh the same. Claws are a closer cue: a grizzly's front claws run 2 to 4 inches, while a black bear's are shorter than 2 inches.

Black Bear vs Grizzly side by side

Last verified October 2026. Typical values; individual animals, products and local prices vary.

When you are looking at which

Black Bear

• The back is level and the rump is higher than the shoulders, with no hump.
• The face is straight from the eyes to the muzzle, and the ears look tall and pointed.
• The claws look short, under about 2 inches, and the bear climbs a tree easily.
• The bear looks smaller, around 2 to 3.5 feet at the shoulder.

Grizzly

• A muscular hump sits over the shoulders and the rump looks lower.
• The face looks dished between the eyes and snout and the ears are short and round.
• The front claws look long, 2 to 4 inches, and the head looks large and round.
• The bear stands 3 to 5 feet at the shoulder on all fours.

How this works

The quiz asks five questions about shape and size from the National Park Service and Parks Canada: shoulder hump, face profile, ears, claws and shoulder height. It deliberately leaves color out, since color does not separate the two species.

It is meant for a photo or a distant sighting, not for judging a bear nearby. Claws and ears are hard to see, and young bears are smaller. Brown bears outside the grizzly range and other black bear colors can mislead, so ask park staff if you need to be certain.

Where these numbers come from

The figures and defaults on this page are based on:

• National Park Service: Bear Identification, Shoulder hump, face, ears, claws, height, tracks and color warning (checked October 2026)
• Parks Canada: Bear basics, Male weights, hump, face, ears, claw lengths and color caution (checked October 2026)

Identification aid only; it does not replace guidance from park staff, and a close encounter needs local safety advice.