The New England Cottontail is the only cottontail native to the northeastern United States and has declined severely due to habitat loss and competition with the introduced Eastern Cottontail. It is nearly identical to the Eastern Cottontail in appearance but requires dense early-successional shrub thickets rather than open suburban edges. Conservation efforts focus on creating and maintaining young shrubby forest stands.
Habitat
Dense young shrubby forests and thickets of New England
Diet
Grasses, woody shrub twigs, and clover
How common
Uncommon
Recent New England Cottontail sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
Spot a New England Cottontail? Identify it instantly.
Point Huck at any plant or animal and get an instant ID, rarity, and field notes — building your personal nature collection as you go.
Get Huck — free