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Wildlife in North Carolina

Here’s what naturalists are spotting in North Carolina right now - pulled live from recent research-grade observations. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

512,955
recent observations
30
species listed
11
birds
8
insects & arthropods
6
plants

Naturalists have logged 512,955 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in North Carolina. The most frequently seen is the Eastern Gray Squirrel, with 29,498 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (11 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (8).

Rarer finds confirmed in North Carolina include Spotted Wintergreen - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.

Spotted Wintergreen
🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in North Carolina

Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
29,498 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
26,777 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
26,726 observations
Green Anole
Anolis carolinensis
26,627 observations
Common Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
25,439 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
23,005 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
21,445 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
19,532 observations
Christmas Fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
18,802 observations
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
18,689 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
18,074 observations
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
17,792 observations
American Sweetgum
Liquidambar styraciflua
15,868 observations
American Tuliptree
Liriodendron tulipifera
15,600 observations
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
15,573 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
14,794 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
14,656 observations
American Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
13,814 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
13,152 observations
Striped Wintergreen
Chimaphila maculata
13,032 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
12,892 observations
Crane-fly Orchid
Tipularia discolor
12,750 observations · iNaturalist
Silver-spotted Skipper
Epargyreus clarus
12,600 observations
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
12,556 observations
Central Ratsnake
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
12,516 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
12,475 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
12,348 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
12,111 observations
Yellow Garden Spider
Argiope aurantia
11,996 observations
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
11,816 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.

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