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Wildlife near Buffalo, NY

Illustrated wildlife of Buffalo

Buffalo sits where Lake Erie pours into the Niagara River, and that river is one of the best gull-watching spots on earth in winter, with rare species turning up among the thousands. Bald eagles and common mergansers work the fast water, the lakefront and the Tifft Nature Preserve hold herons, beavers, and muskrats, and the neighborhoods run to gray squirrels, cottontails, and red-tailed hawks.

Everything below is pulled live from recent research-grade observations near Buffalo. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

40,047
recent observations
30
species listed
14
birds
5
insects & arthropods
3
mammals

Naturalists have logged 40,047 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Buffalo. The most frequently seen is the Canada Goose, with 2,417 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (14 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (5).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Buffalo

Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
2,417 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
2,323 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
2,254 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
1,959 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
1,763 observations
Ring-billed Gull
Larus delawarensis
1,731 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
1,676 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
1,671 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
1,622 observations
Common Buckthorn
Rhamnus cathartica
1,487 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
1,254 observations
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
1,208 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
1,198 observations
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
1,192 observations
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
1,186 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
1,141 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
1,127 observations
Black-capped Chickadee
Poecile atricapillus
1,114 observations
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
1,102 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
1,088 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
1,023 observations
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
1,023 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
1,007 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
1,005 observations
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
975 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
954 observations
Purple Loosestrife
Lythrum salicaria
916 observations
Hickory Tussock Moth
Lophocampa caryae
889 observations
Common Reed
Phragmites australis
876 observations
North American Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans
866 observations

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.

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