Field Guide · Regional

Wildlife in New Jersey

The birds, plants, and insects most often recorded in New Jersey. 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 New Jersey

Most-recorded birds reported across the state.

  1. Canada Goose Branta canadensis 9,641 records
  2. American Robin American Robin Turdus migratorius 8,994 records
  3. Mallard Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 6,901 records
  4. Northern Cardinal Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 5,884 records
  5. Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias 5,735 records
  6. Mourning Dove Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura 5,644 records
  7. House Sparrow House Sparrow Passer domesticus 4,864 records
  8. Laughing Gull Laughing Gull Leucophaeus atricilla 4,718 records
  9. Red-Tailed Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 4,426 records
  10. Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus 4,201 records
  11. White-Throated Sparrow Zonotrichia albicollis 4,098 records
  12. Blue Jay Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata 4,034 records
Plants

Plants Commonly Recorded In New Jersey

Plants observers log most often statewide.

  1. Common Mugwort Common Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris 8,441 records
  2. Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata 7,994 records
  3. Multiflora Rose Multiflora Rose Rosa multiflora 7,019 records
  4. Striped Wintergreen Striped Wintergreen Chimaphila maculata 6,819 records
  5. Eastern Poison Ivy Eastern Poison Ivy Toxicodendron radicans 6,399 records
  6. American Pokeweed American Pokeweed Phytolacca americana 5,610 records
  7. Wineberry Rubus phoenicolasius 5,550 records
  8. Eastern Redcedar Eastern Redcedar Juniperus virginiana 5,196 records
  9. Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica 5,164 records
  10. Eastern Skunk Cabbage Eastern Skunk Cabbage Symplocarpus foetidus 5,042 records
  11. Partridgeberry Partridgeberry Mitchella repens 4,833 records
  12. American Beech American Beech Fagus grandifolia 4,776 records
Insects

Insects Commonly Recorded In New Jersey

The insects that turn up most in records.

  1. Spotted Lanternfly Spotted Lanternfly Lycorma delicatula 10,146 records
  2. Monarch Monarch Danaus plexippus 7,553 records
  3. Common Eastern Bumble Bee Common Eastern Bumble Bee Bombus impatiens 5,813 records
  4. Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis 5,429 records
  5. Blue Dasher Blue Dasher Pachydiplax longipennis 5,189 records
  6. Eastern Pondhawk Eastern Pondhawk Erythemis simplicicollis 4,885 records
  7. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera 3,989 records
  8. Common Whitetail Common Whitetail Plathemis lydia 3,606 records
  9. Fragile Forktail Fragile Forktail Ischnura posita 3,412 records
  10. Eastern Carpenter Bee Eastern Carpenter Bee Xylocopa virginica 3,216 records
  11. Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Papilio glaucus 3,190 records
  12. Huron Skipper Atalopedes huron 3,059 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) John D Reynolds, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by John D Reynolds  ·  (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)  ·  (c) Laura Keene, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Laura Keene  ·  (c) Dan Roach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dan Roach  ·  (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy  ·  (c) Ximo Galarza, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) José Antonio Linage Espinosa, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by José Antonio Linage Espinosa  ·  (c) Craig K. Hunt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig K. Hunt  ·  (c) Josiah Reed, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Josiah Reed  ·  (c) Valentin Hamon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Valentin Hamon  ·  (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman  ·  (c) Patrick Hanly, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Patrick Hanly  ·  (c) Sam Fraser-Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY)  ·  (c) Steven Severinghaus, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Clare Dellwo Cole, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Clare Dellwo Cole  ·  (c) Patrick Coin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Sara Rall, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sara Rall  ·  (c) Sakern | 永隔一江水, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sakern | 永隔一江水  ·  (c) Virginia Rivers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) scotstewart, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by scotstewart  ·  (c) Cameron Eckert, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Cameron Eckert  ·  (c) Roger Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)  ·  (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley  ·  (c) Zachary Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Zachary Dankowicz  ·  (c) Christopher Eliot, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christopher Eliot  ·  (c) David Alan Rogers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by David Alan Rogers