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Wildlife near Denver, Colorado

Illustrated wildlife of Denver

Denver runs up against the Front Range, and mountain wildlife spills down into the city. Mule deer and red foxes work the parks, black-billed magpies rattle from the cottonwoods, and Canada geese have taken over every pond and playing field. The South Platte River greenway carries herons, kingfishers, and the occasional beaver right through downtown, and raptors ride the thermals off the foothills all winter.

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

94,422
recent observations
30
species listed
10
birds
11
plants
3
mammals

Naturalists have logged 94,422 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Denver. The most frequently seen is the Showy Milkweed, with 5,112 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (10 of the species listed here), followed by plants (11).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Denver

Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
5,112 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
4,920 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
4,724 observations
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
4,608 observations
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
4,101 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
3,924 observations
Great Plains Yucca
Yucca glauca
3,901 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
3,775 observations
Great Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
3,694 observations
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
3,689 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
3,651 observations
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
3,337 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
3,332 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
3,061 observations
Field Bindweed
Convolvulus arvensis
3,011 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
2,878 observations
Common Starlily
Leucocrinum montanum
2,796 observations · iNaturalist
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Ericameria nauseosa
2,711 observations · iNaturalist
Creeping Mahonia
Berberis repens
2,699 observations · iNaturalist
Bold Jumping Spider
Phidippus audax
2,588 observations
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
2,411 observations
Rocky Mountains Ponderosa Pine
Pinus scopulorum
2,407 observations · iNaturalist
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
2,315 observations
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
2,287 observations
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
2,256 observations
Redstem Stork's-bill
Erodium cicutarium
2,101 observations · iNaturalist
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
2,097 observations
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
2,019 observations
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
2,018 observations
Thistle Poppy
Argemone polyanthemos
1,999 observations · iNaturalist

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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