Places › Cities › Minneapolis

Wildlife near Minneapolis, Minnesota

Illustrated wildlife of Minneapolis

Minneapolis is a city of lakes stitched together by the Mississippi, and the water shapes everything. Common loons turn up on the bigger lakes, bald eagles nest along the river gorge right in the city, and the chain of lakes fills with wood ducks, herons, and migrating waterfowl. White-tailed deer and red foxes work the parkways, and in winter the open river below Saint Anthony Falls holds goldeneyes and the eagles that hunt them.

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

127,228
recent observations
30
species listed
8
insects & arthropods
12
birds
5
plants

Naturalists have logged 127,228 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Minneapolis. The most frequently seen is the Common Eastern Bumble Bee, with 14,665 recorded sightings.

Insects & Arthropods account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (8 of the species listed here), followed by birds (12).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Minneapolis

Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
14,665 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
7,306 observations
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
6,389 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
6,013 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
5,469 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
4,802 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
4,481 observations
Two-spotted Bumble Bee
Bombus bimaculatus
4,399 observations
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
4,111 observations
Painted Turtle
Chrysemys picta
4,028 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
3,867 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
3,864 observations
Black-and-gold Bumble Bee
Bombus auricomus
3,838 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
3,784 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
3,726 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
3,722 observations
Wood Duck
Aix sponsa
3,718 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
3,502 observations
Red-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus rufocinctus
3,362 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
3,336 observations
White Snakeroot
Ageratina altissima
3,301 observations
Common Buckthorn
Rhamnus cathartica
3,098 observations
Common Motherwort
Leonurus cardiaca
3,063 observations · iNaturalist
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
2,862 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
2,816 observations
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
2,804 observations
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
2,787 observations
Box Elder
Acer negundo
2,750 observations
Virginia Waterleaf
Hydrophyllum virginianum
2,694 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
2,671 observations

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.

Get rare-sighting alerts for Minneapolis

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 Minneapolis

Exploring Minneapolis?

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

Get Huck

Exploring Minneapolis? 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.