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Wildlife near New York City, New York

Illustrated wildlife of New York City

New York packs more wildlife into its edges than its reputation suggests. Peregrine falcons nest on the bridges and skyscrapers, one of the densest urban populations of them anywhere, and red-tailed hawks hunt the parks. Central Park is a famous migration trap, dropping tired warblers into the middle of Manhattan each spring and fall. Out at Jamaica Bay the picture shifts entirely to horseshoe crabs, diamondback terrapins, and clouds of shorebirds. Raccoons and Eastern gray squirrels handle the rest.

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

333,460
recent observations
30
species listed
12
birds
11
plants
5
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 333,460 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near New York City. The most frequently seen is the white snakeroot, with 22,882 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (12 of the species listed here), followed by plants (11).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near New York City

white snakeroot
Ageratina altissima
22,882 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
19,676 observations
common mugwort
Artemisia vulgaris
19,452 observations · iNaturalist
Rock Pigeon
Columba livia
19,220 observations
Spotted Lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula
18,284 observations · iNaturalist
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
17,968 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
15,170 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
12,146 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
11,503 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
11,079 observations
tree-of-heaven
Ailanthus altissima
10,736 observations · iNaturalist
common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
10,570 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
10,363 observations
European Starling
Sturnus vulgaris
10,233 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
9,695 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
9,508 observations
American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
8,993 observations
garlic mustard
Alliaria petiolata
8,777 observations
lesser celandine
Ficaria verna
8,698 observations · iNaturalist
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
8,411 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
8,102 observations
Porcelain Berry
Ampelopsis glandulosa
7,898 observations · iNaturalist
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
7,759 observations
White-throated Sparrow
Zonotrichia albicollis
7,426 observations
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
7,418 observations
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
6,613 observations
eastern poison ivy
Toxicodendron radicans
6,559 observations
Blue Jay
Cyanocitta cristata
6,233 observations
Asian bittersweet
Celastrus orbiculatus
6,120 observations
American jumpseed
Persicaria virginiana
5,968 observations · iNaturalist

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