Places CitiesLos Angeles

Wildlife near Los Angeles, California

Illustrated wildlife of Los Angeles

Los Angeles runs from the surf line to mountain ridges inside the county line, and the wildlife is just as stretched. Mountain lions genuinely live in the hills above the city, coyotes trot suburban sidewalks at dawn, and Anna’s hummingbirds hold territory year round. The Ballona wetlands and the LA River (yes, it has wildlife) pull in herons, egrets, and shorebirds, while the canyons hold western fence lizards, California towhees, and the occasional bobcat.

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

353,232
recent observations
30
species listed
19
birds
4
insects & arthropods
2
reptiles & amphibians

Naturalists have logged 353,232 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Los Angeles. The most frequently seen is the Western Fence Lizard, with 36,958 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (19 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (4).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Los Angeles

Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
36,958 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
22,583 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
19,799 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
17,814 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
16,773 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
14,645 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
13,905 observations
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
13,024 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
12,612 observations
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
10,969 observations
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
10,905 observations
California Towhee
Melozone crissalis
10,423 observations
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
10,071 observations
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
9,691 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
9,645 observations
Garden Snail
Cornu aspersum
9,311 observations · iNaturalist
Arizona Mantis
Stagmomantis limbata
9,044 observations · iNaturalist
Gray Bird Grasshopper
Schistocerca nitens
8,957 observations · iNaturalist
Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata
8,951 observations
California Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum
8,639 observations · iNaturalist
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
8,517 observations
Cooper's Hawk
Astur cooperii
8,311 observations · iNaturalist
laurel sumac
Malosma laurina
8,198 observations · iNaturalist
California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
8,178 observations
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
7,886 observations · iNaturalist
Allen's Hummingbird
Selasphorus sasin
7,865 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
7,789 observations
Anna's Hummingbird
Calypte anna
7,335 observations
Western Bluebird
Sialia mexicana
7,286 observations
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
7,148 observations

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