Field Guide · Regional

Wildlife in New York

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

Most-recorded birds reported across the state.

  1. American Robin American Robin Turdus migratorius 23,156 records
  2. Rock Pigeon Rock Pigeon Columba livia 18,296 records
  3. Canada Goose Branta canadensis 18,154 records
  4. Mallard Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 16,940 records
  5. House Sparrow House Sparrow Passer domesticus 16,145 records
  6. Northern Cardinal Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 13,906 records
  7. Red-Tailed Hawk Red-Tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis 12,251 records
  8. Mourning Dove Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura 11,983 records
  9. European Starling European Starling Sturnus vulgaris 11,219 records
  10. Red-Winged Blackbird Agelaius phoeniceus 9,896 records
  11. Blue Jay Blue Jay Cyanocitta cristata 9,433 records
  12. Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias 8,763 records
Plants

Plants Commonly Recorded In New York

Plants observers log most often statewide.

  1. White Snakeroot White Snakeroot Ageratina altissima 25,761 records
  2. Common Mugwort Common Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris 23,618 records
  3. Common Milkweed Common Milkweed Asclepias syriaca 18,107 records
  4. Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata 15,775 records
  5. American Pokeweed American Pokeweed Phytolacca americana 12,377 records
  6. Tree-Of-Heaven Ailanthus altissima 12,258 records
  7. Lesser Celandine Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna 11,024 records
  8. Multiflora Rose Multiflora Rose Rosa multiflora 10,429 records
  9. Eastern Poison Ivy Eastern Poison Ivy Toxicodendron radicans 9,586 records
  10. Eastern White Pine Eastern White Pine Pinus strobus 9,499 records
  11. Sensitive Fern Sensitive Fern Onoclea sensibilis 9,439 records
  12. Asian Bittersweet Asian Bittersweet Celastrus orbiculatus 8,954 records
Insects

Insects Commonly Recorded In New York

The insects that turn up most in records.

  1. Common Eastern Bumble Bee Common Eastern Bumble Bee Bombus impatiens 22,330 records
  2. Spotted Lanternfly Spotted Lanternfly Lycorma delicatula 17,552 records
  3. Monarch Monarch Danaus plexippus 17,349 records
  4. Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis 14,840 records
  5. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera 13,035 records
  6. Spongy Moth Spongy Moth Lymantria dispar 7,539 records
  7. Brown-Belted Bumble Bee Brown-Belted Bumble Bee Bombus griseocollis 7,427 records
  8. Eastern Carpenter Bee Eastern Carpenter Bee Xylocopa virginica 7,019 records
  9. Small White Small White Pieris rapae 6,416 records
  10. Black Swallowtail Papilio polyxenes 6,135 records
  11. Isabella Tiger Moth Isabella Tiger Moth Pyrrharctia isabella 5,252 records
  12. Red Admiral Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta 5,235 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) Birds of Gilgit-Baltistan, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)  ·  (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)  ·  (c) Ximo Galarza, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Laura Keene, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Laura Keene  ·  (c) Craig K. Hunt, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Craig K. Hunt  ·  (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy  ·  (c) Fran Wiesner, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), uploaded by Fran Wiesner  ·  (c) Josiah Reed, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Josiah Reed  ·  (c) Dan Roach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dan Roach  ·  (c) Dan Mullen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)  ·  (c) Valentin Hamon, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Valentin Hamon  ·  (c) csozanne, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Bernard Picton, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Bernard Picton  ·  (c) Douglas Goldman, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Douglas Goldman  ·  (c) Sam Fraser-Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY)  ·  (c) Forest and Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY)  ·  (c) Laura Clark, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Laura Clark  ·  (c) Jeff Skrentny, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Jeff Skrentny  ·  (c) scotstewart, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by scotstewart  ·  (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) richardjaybee, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by richardjaybee  ·  (c) Steven Mlodinow, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Steven Mlodinow  ·  (c) Christopher Eliot, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Christopher Eliot  ·  (c) Liu JimFood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Liu JimFood  ·  (c) Larry Clarfeld, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Larry Clarfeld  ·  (c) Gilles San Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Gilles San Martin