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Wildlife near Santa Clarita, CA

Illustrated wildlife of Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita sits in the dry hills north of Los Angeles where the Santa Clara River still runs mostly wild. The river bottom holds herons, and the surrounding chaparral and oak woodland bring coyotes, bobcats, mule deer, and the occasional mountain lion moving through. Acorn woodpeckers stash acorns in the oaks, California quail scurry the brush, and red-tailed hawks ride the canyon updrafts.

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

192,342
recent observations
30
species listed
13
birds
8
plants
3
reptiles & amphibians

Naturalists have logged 192,342 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Santa Clarita. The most frequently seen is the Western Fence Lizard, with 21,632 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (13 of the species listed here), followed by plants (8).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Santa Clarita

Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
21,632 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
9,987 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
8,933 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
8,464 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
7,902 observations
California Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum
7,421 observations · iNaturalist
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
6,873 observations
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
6,497 observations
California Towhee
Melozone crissalis
6,481 observations
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
6,094 observations
Laurel Sumac
Malosma laurina
6,060 observations · iNaturalist
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
5,918 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
5,914 observations
California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
5,913 observations
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
5,750 observations
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
5,491 observations · iNaturalist
Sacred Datura
Datura wrightii
5,479 observations
Coyote
Canis latrans
5,456 observations
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
5,448 observations
Coast Live Oak
Quercus agrifolia
5,332 observations
Arizona Mantis
Stagmomantis limbata
5,083 observations · iNaturalist
Chaparral Yucca
Hesperoyucca whipplei
4,966 observations · iNaturalist
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
4,858 observations
Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata
4,636 observations
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
4,558 observations
Pacific Poison Oak
Toxicodendron diversilobum
4,381 observations
Black Sage
Salvia mellifera
4,338 observations · iNaturalist
Anna's Hummingbird
Calypte anna
4,186 observations
Cooper's Hawk
Astur cooperii
4,156 observations · iNaturalist
Gray Bird Grasshopper
Schistocerca nitens
4,135 observations · iNaturalist

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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