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Wildlife in Wind Cave National Park

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

5,391
recent observations
30
species listed
8
mammals
16
plants
6
birds

Naturalists have logged 5,391 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Wind Cave. The most frequently seen is the American Bison, with 1,199 recorded sightings.

Mammals account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (8 of the species listed here), followed by plants (16).

Rarer finds confirmed in Wind Cave include Nylon Hedgehog Cactus - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.

Nylon Hedgehog Cactus
🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Wind Cave

American Bison
Bos bison
1,199 observations · iNaturalist
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
927 observations
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
574 observations
Donkey
Equus asinus
250 observations
Coyote
Canis latrans
153 observations
Rocky Mountains Ponderosa Pine
Pinus scopulorum
150 observations · iNaturalist
Upright Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
147 observations
Great Plains Yucca
Yucca glauca
143 observations
Leadplant
Amorpha canescens
137 observations
Hoary Vervain
Verbena stricta
130 observations
Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower
Echinacea angustifolia
120 observations
Green-flower Hedgehog Cactus
Echinocereus viridiflorus
109 observations
Scarlet Globemallow
Sphaeralcea coccinea
104 observations
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
99 observations
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
89 observations
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
83 observations
Western Meadowlark
Sturnella neglecta
82 observations
Great Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
82 observations
Western Poison Ivy
Toxicodendron rydbergii
79 observations · iNaturalist
Common Starlily
Leucocrinum montanum
77 observations · iNaturalist
Wapiti
Cervus canadensis
74 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
68 observations
Western Harebell
Campanula petiolata
67 observations · iNaturalist
Wild Licorice
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
66 observations · iNaturalist
American Plum
Prunus americana
65 observations
Barn Swallow
Hirundo rustica
64 observations
Eastern Kingbird
Tyrannus tyrannus
64 observations
Spotted Towhee
Pipilo maculatus
63 observations
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
63 observations
Fringed Sagebrush
Artemisia frigida
63 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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