Wildlife near Boston, Massachusetts

Boston wraps around a working harbor, and the ocean is never far from the wildlife. Harbor seals haul out on the islands, right whales pass offshore in spring, and the Charles River and the Fens pull in herons, cormorants, and wintering ducks. In the neighborhoods it is eastern gray squirrels, red-tailed hawks nesting on building ledges, and wild turkeys that have taken over some streets outright. The Arnold Arboretum and the harbor islands are the places to look.

Everything below is pulled live from recent research-grade observations near Boston. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

Most-observed species near Boston

Built from recent research-grade iNaturalist observations. Identifications are community-sourced and may occasionally be wrong, and the ranking reflects where people record and photograph wildlife, so a species seen often here is not necessarily rare elsewhere. Some plants and animals are only out in certain seasons. Treat this as a lively snapshot of what people are finding, not a formal checklist.