Field Guide · Regional

Wildlife in Louisiana

The birds, plants, and insects most often recorded in Louisiana. 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 Louisiana

Most-recorded birds reported across the state.

  1. Great Egret Great Egret Ardea alba 4,202 records
  2. Northern Cardinal Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 3,733 records
  3. Northern Mockingbird Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 3,268 records
  4. White Ibis White Ibis Eudocimus albus 3,081 records
  5. Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck Black-Bellied Whistling-Duck Dendrocygna autumnalis 2,829 records
  6. Mallard Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 2,628 records
  7. Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias 2,367 records
  8. Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus 2,312 records
  9. House Sparrow House Sparrow Passer domesticus 1,963 records
  10. Carolina Wren Carolina Wren Thryothorus ludovicianus 1,945 records
  11. Yellow-Rumped Warbler Yellow-Rumped Warbler Setophaga coronata 1,881 records
  12. Muscovy Duck Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata 1,856 records
Plants

Plants Commonly Recorded In Louisiana

Plants observers log most often statewide.

  1. White Clover White Clover Trifolium repens 2,698 records
  2. Baldcypress Baldcypress Taxodium distichum 2,586 records
  3. Chinese Tallow Chinese Tallow Triadica sebifera 2,491 records
  4. American Black Elderberry American Black Elderberry Sambucus canadensis 2,418 records
  5. Bristle Thistle Bristle Thistle Cirsium horridulum 2,338 records
  6. American Beautyberry American Beautyberry Callicarpa americana 2,282 records
  7. Spanish Moss Tillandsia usneoides 2,122 records
  8. American Sweetgum American Sweetgum Liquidambar styraciflua 2,103 records
  9. Resurrection Fern Resurrection Fern Pleopeltis michauxiana 2,038 records
  10. Peppervine Peppervine Nekemias arborea 2,017 records
  11. Dwarf Palmetto Dwarf Palmetto Sabal minor 2,015 records
  12. Virginia Creeper Virginia Creeper Parthenocissus quinquefolia 1,942 records
Insects

Insects Commonly Recorded In Louisiana

The insects that turn up most in records.

  1. Eastern Pondhawk Eastern Pondhawk Erythemis simplicicollis 4,382 records
  2. Blue Dasher Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis 3,834 records
  3. Gulf Fritillary Gulf Fritillary Dione vanillae 3,663 records
  4. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera 2,793 records
  5. Monarch Monarch Danaus plexippus 2,710 records
  6. Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis 2,524 records
  7. Eastern Lubber Grasshopper Romalea microptera 2,334 records
  8. American Bumble Bee American Bumble Bee Bombus pensylvanicus 2,024 records
  9. Gulf Coast Buck Moth Gulf Coast Buck Moth Hemileuca orleans 2,000 records
  10. Common Buckeye Common Buckeye Junonia coenia 1,882 records
  11. Fall Webworm Moth Fall Webworm Moth Hyphantria cunea 1,873 records
  12. Pearl Crescent Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos 1,824 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.

Photographs via iNaturalist contributors, used under their Creative Commons licenses: (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY)  ·  (c) Laura Keene, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Laura Keene  ·  (c) Kevin Milazzo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley  ·  (c) cello caruso-turiello, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by cello caruso-turiello  ·  (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)  ·  (c) Dan Roach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dan Roach  ·  (c) Ximo Galarza, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Tom Murray, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Zane Shantz, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Zane Shantz  ·  (c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)  ·  (c) Gennadiy Okatov, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Gennadiy Okatov  ·  (c) Annika Lindqvist, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Annika Lindqvist  ·  (c) J. Richard Abbott, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by J. Richard Abbott  ·  (c) Rison Thumboor, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)  ·  no rights reserved, uploaded by Craig Martin  ·  (c) Alex Abair, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Alex Abair  ·  (c) Randy Puckett, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Randy Puckett  ·  (c) Dakota Parish, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dakota Parish  ·  (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Larry D. Moore, some rights reserved (CC BY)  ·  (c) Suzanne Cadwell, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Roger Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)  ·  (c) Cameron Eckert, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Cameron Eckert  ·  (c) Virginia Rivers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Buddy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Buddy  ·  (c) kpinso, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by kpinso  ·  (c) Dustin Griffin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dustin Griffin  ·  (c) John Morgan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John Morgan