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Wildlife near Columbus, Ohio

Illustrated wildlife of Columbus

Columbus grew up where the Scioto and Olentangy rivers meet, and the river corridors carry the wildlife through the city. Northern cardinals and fox squirrels hold every neighborhood, white-tailed deer browse the metro park ravines, and great blue herons and belted kingfishers work the water. The restored wetlands and prairies in the metro park system pull in migrating warblers in spring and wintering waterfowl when the ponds stay open.

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

49,359
recent observations
30
species listed
18
insects & arthropods
5
birds
3
plants

Naturalists have logged 49,359 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Columbus. The most frequently seen is the Monarch, with 2,600 recorded sightings.

Insects & Arthropods account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (18 of the species listed here), followed by birds (5).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Columbus

Monarch
Danaus plexippus
2,600 observations
Eastern Pondhawk
Erythemis simplicicollis
2,505 observations
Eastern Forktail
Ischnura verticalis
2,426 observations
Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
2,322 observations
Widow Skimmer
Libellula luctuosa
2,262 observations
Blue Dasher
Pachydiplax longipennis
2,239 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
2,210 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
1,877 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
1,783 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
1,747 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
1,701 observations
Ebony Jewelwing
Calopteryx maculata
1,685 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
1,653 observations
Common Whitetail
Plathemis lydia
1,651 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
1,602 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
1,527 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
1,496 observations
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
1,484 observations
Eastern Amberwing
Perithemis tenera
1,394 observations · iNaturalist
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
1,358 observations
Fragile Forktail
Ischnura posita
1,356 observations · iNaturalist
American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
1,275 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
1,254 observations
Zabulon Skipper
Lon zabulon
1,170 observations · iNaturalist
Pearl Crescent
Phyciodes tharos
1,167 observations
common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
1,165 observations
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
1,141 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
1,131 observations
Familiar Bluet
Enallagma civile
1,096 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
1,082 observations

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