Field Guide · Regional

Wildlife in Texas

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

Most-recorded birds reported across the state.

  1. Northern Cardinal Northern Cardinal Cardinalis cardinalis 75,119 records
  2. Northern Mockingbird Northern Mockingbird Mimus polyglottos 50,356 records
  3. Great-Tailed Grackle Great-Tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus 46,081 records
  4. Great Blue Heron Great Blue Heron Ardea herodias 45,388 records
  5. Great Egret Great Egret Ardea alba 42,203 records
  6. Mallard Mallard Anas platyrhynchos 39,230 records
  7. White-Winged Dove Zenaida asiatica 31,439 records
  8. Mourning Dove Mourning Dove Zenaida macroura 29,248 records
  9. House Finch Haemorhous mexicanus 27,917 records
  10. Eastern Phoebe Sayornis phoebe 26,388 records
  11. House Sparrow House Sparrow Passer domesticus 26,081 records
  12. Eastern Bluebird Eastern Bluebird Sialia sialis 26,040 records
Plants

Plants Commonly Recorded In Texas

Plants observers log most often statewide.

  1. Pinkladies Oenothera speciosa 38,942 records
  2. Firewheel Firewheel Gaillardia pulchella 34,852 records
  3. Silverleaf Nightshade Silverleaf Nightshade Solanum elaeagnifolium 30,416 records
  4. Straggler Daisy Straggler Daisy Calyptocarpus vialis 30,399 records
  5. Texas Bluebonnet Texas Bluebonnet Lupinus texensis 29,165 records
  6. Honey Mesquite Honey Mesquite Neltuma glandulosa 28,232 records
  7. Dakota Mock Vervain Dakota Mock Vervain Glandularia bipinnatifida 27,809 records
  8. Upright Prairie Coneflower Ratibida columnifera 24,061 records
  9. Antelopehorn Milkweed Antelopehorn Milkweed Asclepias asperula 23,491 records
  10. Saw Greenbrier Smilax bona-nox 23,177 records
  11. Texas Paintbrush Texas Paintbrush Castilleja indivisa 22,322 records
  12. Eastern Poison Ivy Eastern Poison Ivy Toxicodendron radicans 21,232 records
Insects

Insects Commonly Recorded In Texas

The insects that turn up most in records.

  1. Western Honey Bee Apis mellifera 55,538 records
  2. Monarch Monarch Danaus plexippus 52,388 records
  3. Gulf Fritillary Gulf Fritillary Dione vanillae 49,701 records
  4. Queen Queen Danaus gilippus 34,646 records
  5. Common Buckeye Common Buckeye Junonia coenia 31,308 records
  6. Eastern Pondhawk Eastern Pondhawk Erythemis simplicicollis 30,017 records
  7. Pipevine Swallowtail Pipevine Swallowtail Battus philenor 29,485 records
  8. Gray Hairstreak Gray Hairstreak Strymon melinus 28,791 records
  9. Salt Marsh Moth Salt Marsh Moth Estigmene acrea 28,595 records
  10. Asian Lady Beetle Harmonia axyridis 28,221 records
  11. American Bumble Bee American Bumble Bee Bombus pensylvanicus 26,086 records
  12. Red Admiral Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta 25,754 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) Laura Keene, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Laura Keene  ·  (c) Kevin Milazzo, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Ad Konings, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ad Konings  ·  (c) Dan Roach, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dan Roach  ·  (c) Judy Gallagher, some rights reserved (CC BY)  ·  (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)  ·  (c) Donna Pomeroy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Donna Pomeroy  ·  (c) Ximo Galarza, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Shreybae, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Shreybae  ·  (c) TexasEagle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Platon Kleanthidis, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Platon Kleanthidis  ·  no rights reserved, uploaded by 葉子  ·  (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley  ·  (c) alisonbabb, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Katelyn Rose, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Katelyn Rose  ·  (c) Russ Hoverman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Russ Hoverman  ·  (c) Aidan Campos, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Aidan Campos  ·  (c) Sam Fraser-Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY)  ·  (c) Virginia Rivers, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Mary Keim, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA)  ·  (c) Derrick L. Mims, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Derrick L. Mims  ·  (c) Dustin Griffin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dustin Griffin  ·  (c) Roger Smith, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND)  ·  (c) kbarylski, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) danabarb, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)  ·  (c) Thomas Shahan, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Thomas Shahan  ·  (c) Buddy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Buddy  ·  (c) Gilles San Martin, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Gilles San Martin