Field Guide · Regional

Wildlife in California

The birds, plants, and insects most often recorded in California. A starting field list, drawn from iNaturalist research-grade observations, for what is likely living near you.

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Birds

Birds Commonly Recorded In California

Most-recorded birds reported across the state.

  1. Red-Tailed Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 95,780 records
  2. Mallard Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 87,441 records
  3. House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus 70,273 records
  4. Anna's Hummingbird Calypte anna 70,079 records
  5. Black Phoebe Sayornis nigricans 66,413 records
  6. White-Crowned Sparrow White-Crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys 63,636 records
  7. Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias 60,651 records
  8. Western Gull Western Gull Larus occidentalis 60,217 records
  9. California Scrub-Jay Aphelocoma californica 59,870 records
  10. Snowy Egret Egretta thula 54,470 records
  11. California Towhee California Towhee Melozone crissalis 53,377 records
  12. Great Egret Great Egret Ardea alba 53,286 records
Plants

Plants Commonly Recorded In California

Plants observers log most often statewide.

  1. California Poppy California Poppy Eschscholzia californica 58,450 records
  2. California Buckwheat California Buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum 50,163 records
  3. Pacific Poison Oak Toxicodendron diversilobum 49,406 records
  4. Toyon Toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia 47,186 records
  5. Coyote Brush Coyote Brush Baccharis pilularis 40,792 records
  6. Coast Live Oak Coast Live Oak Quercus agrifolia 40,652 records
  7. Blue Dicks Blue Dicks Dipterostemon capitatus 38,879 records
  8. California Sagebrush California Sagebrush Artemisia californica 33,332 records
  9. Western Blue-Eyed Grass Western Blue-Eyed Grass Sisyrinchium bellum 31,883 records
  10. Orange Bush Monkeyflower Orange Bush Monkeyflower Diplacus aurantiacus 31,701 records
  11. Creosote Bush Creosote Bush Larrea tridentata 28,363 records
  12. Common Yarrow Common Yarrow Achillea millefolium 28,226 records
Insects

Insects Commonly Recorded In California

The insects that turn up most in records.

  1. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera 88,109 records
  2. Monarch Monarch Danaus plexippus 58,532 records
  3. Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle Seven-Spotted Lady Beetle Coccinella septempunctata 27,171 records
  4. Convergent Lady Beetle Hippodamia convergens 25,779 records
  5. Fiery Skipper Fiery Skipper Hylephila phyleus 24,934 records
  6. White-Lined Sphinx Hyles lineata 23,508 records
  7. Painted Lady Painted Lady Vanessa cardui 23,158 records
  8. Gray Buckeye Gray Buckeye Junonia grisea 22,502 records
  9. Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis 22,028 records
  10. Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee Yellow-Faced Bumble Bee Bombus vosnesenskii 20,631 records
  11. Gray Bird Grasshopper Gray Bird Grasshopper Schistocerca nitens 20,195 records
  12. Arizona Mantis Arizona Mantis Stagmomantis limbata 19,229 records

Go Deeper

Use the live finder to narrow this to your town and season. Then read Who Lives Here, how to attract wildlife to your yard, and planting for local wildlife. For tools and field guides, see the recommended gear.

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