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Wildlife in Channel Islands National Park

Here’s what naturalists are spotting in Channel Islands right now - pulled live from recent research-grade observations. Browse by group, explore the map, and identify what you find with Huck.

21,153
recent observations
30
species listed
19
plants
4
birds
3
mammals

Naturalists have logged 21,153 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Channel Islands. The most frequently seen is the Island Fox, with 2,703 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (19 of the species listed here), followed by birds (4).

Rarer finds confirmed in Channel Islands include Island Fox and Island Scrub-Jay - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.

Island FoxIsland Scrub-Jay
🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Channel Islands

Island Fox
Urocyon littoralis
2,703 observations
Giant Coreopsis
Leptosyne gigantea
1,651 observations · iNaturalist
Island Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma insularis
1,530 observations
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
1,280 observations
Lemonade Berry
Rhus integrifolia
978 observations · iNaturalist
Santa Cruz Island Wild Buckwheat
Eriogonum arborescens
942 observations · iNaturalist
Island Bush Monkeyflower
Diplacus parviflorus
769 observations · iNaturalist
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
763 observations
Blue Dicks
Dipterostemon capitatus
752 observations · iNaturalist
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
665 observations
Common Raven
Corvus corax
641 observations
Coast Morning Glory
Calystegia macrostegia
561 observations · iNaturalist
Island Hazardia
Hazardia detonsa
532 observations · iNaturalist
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
531 observations
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
522 observations · iNaturalist
Island Paintbrush
Castilleja hololeuca
494 observations · iNaturalist
California Sagebrush
Artemisia californica
488 observations
Coyote Brush
Baccharis pilularis
472 observations · iNaturalist
Redflower Buckwheat
Eriogonum grande
459 observations · iNaturalist
Cliff Aster
Malacothrix saxatilis
449 observations · iNaturalist
Giant Kelp
Macrocystis pyrifera
438 observations · iNaturalist
Cardinal Catchfly
Silene laciniata
417 observations · iNaturalist
Greene's Dudleya
Dudleya greenei
417 observations · iNaturalist
California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus
413 observations
Island Fence Lizard
Sceloporus becki
402 observations
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
397 observations
Coast Paintbrush
Castilleja affinis
397 observations · iNaturalist
Island Ceanothus
Ceanothus arboreus
366 observations · iNaturalist
Wavy Turban
Megastraea undosa
363 observations · iNaturalist
Crystalline Ice Plant
Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
361 observations · iNaturalist

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.

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