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Wildlife in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

Here’s what naturalists are spotting in C&O Canal right now - pulled live from recent research-grade observations. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

140,797
recent observations
30
species listed
10
birds
9
plants
6
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 140,797 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in C&O Canal. The most frequently seen is the White-tailed Deer, with 12,901 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (10 of the species listed here), followed by plants (9).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in C&O Canal

White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
12,901 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
7,914 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
7,034 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
6,209 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
5,699 observations
Spotted Lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula
5,557 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
5,204 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
5,045 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
4,966 observations
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
4,657 observations
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
4,491 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
4,340 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
4,325 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
4,235 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
4,227 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
4,090 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
3,887 observations
Garlic Mustard
Alliaria petiolata
3,878 observations
Huron Skipper
Atalopedes huron
3,788 observations · iNaturalist
Virginia Bluebells
Mertensia virginica
3,684 observations
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
3,666 observations
Mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
3,663 observations
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
3,656 observations
Wineberry
Rubus phoenicolasius
3,575 observations
Amur Honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
3,544 observations
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
3,379 observations
Common Pawpaw
Asimina triloba
3,355 observations
Common Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
3,333 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
3,300 observations
American Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
3,195 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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