Places CitiesCleveland

Wildlife near Cleveland, OH

Illustrated wildlife of Cleveland

Cleveland lines up along Lake Erie, and the lakefront is a migration magnet. Warblers and sparrows pile into the shoreline parks each spring, walleye and steelhead run the rivers, and bald eagles have returned to nest in the Cuyahoga Valley just south. The Metroparks ring the city with real forest, holding white-tailed deer, coyotes, and barred owls, and the lake keeps rafts of ducks offshore all winter.

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

60,056
recent observations
30
species listed
8
birds
8
insects & arthropods
7
plants

Naturalists have logged 60,056 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Cleveland. The most frequently seen is the White-tailed Deer, with 3,378 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (8 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (8).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Cleveland

White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
3,378 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
2,758 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
2,719 observations
Common Garter Snake
Thamnophis sirtalis
2,577 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
2,501 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
2,490 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
2,462 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
2,440 observations
mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
2,286 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
2,237 observations
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
2,235 observations
Eastern Red-backed Salamander
Plethodon cinereus
2,190 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
2,119 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
2,049 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
1,894 observations
Spotted Lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula
1,823 observations · iNaturalist
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
1,821 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
1,752 observations
Green Frog
Lithobates clamitans
1,604 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
1,590 observations
Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Arisaema triphyllum
1,587 observations
Blue Dasher
Pachydiplax longipennis
1,577 observations
Song Sparrow
Melospiza melodia
1,572 observations
yellow trout lily
Erythronium americanum
1,554 observations
common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
1,541 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
1,487 observations
Common Whitetail
Plathemis lydia
1,458 observations
common jewelweed
Impatiens capensis
1,452 observations
American beech
Fagus grandifolia
1,452 observations
Eastern Forktail
Ischnura verticalis
1,451 observations

Get rare-sighting alerts for Cleveland

We’ll email you when an uncommon or rare species is spotted here. One check a day, only when there’s something new.

Free. Unsubscribe from any email. See our Privacy Policy.

More wildlife near Cleveland

Exploring Cleveland?

Take Huck with you. Identify any wildlife you find in seconds, and watch the live map of what is being spotted near Cleveland right now.

Get Huck

Exploring Cleveland? Get Huck field notes

Spotting tips, new species, and the best of what naturalists are finding - straight to your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to receive Huck emails. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. See our Privacy Policy.