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Wildlife near Indianapolis, Indiana

Illustrated wildlife of Indianapolis

Indianapolis spreads across flat central-Indiana farmland with the White River cutting through the middle. The river and the canal downtown draw great blue herons, wood ducks, and beavers, while the neighborhoods run to northern cardinals, eastern cottontails, and fox squirrels. Eagle Creek Park on the west side is large enough to hold nesting bald eagles and pull in migrating waterfowl, and monarchs move through on the central flyway each fall.

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

37,702
recent observations
30
species listed
14
plants
9
birds
6
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 37,702 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Indianapolis. The most frequently seen is the Margined Calligrapher, with 2,954 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (14 of the species listed here), followed by birds (9).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Indianapolis

Margined Calligrapher
Toxomerus marginatus
2,954 observations · iNaturalist
Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
1,997 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
1,945 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
1,830 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
1,628 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
1,484 observations
prairie trillium
Trillium recurvatum
1,410 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
1,408 observations
mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
1,401 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
1,358 observations
harbinger of spring
Erigenia bulbosa
1,354 observations · iNaturalist
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
1,242 observations
bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
1,226 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
1,200 observations
cut-leaved toothwort
Cardamine concatenata
1,100 observations
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
1,025 observations
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
1,014 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
1,013 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
1,008 observations
American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
1,001 observations
common pawpaw
Asimina triloba
978 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
939 observations
garlic mustard
Alliaria petiolata
919 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
917 observations
eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis
911 observations
false rue anemone
Enemion biternatum
899 observations · iNaturalist
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
897 observations
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
893 observations
Virginia bluebells
Mertensia virginica
880 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
871 observations

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