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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.

21,470
recent observations
30
species listed
19
plants
4
birds
3
mammals

Naturalists have logged 21,470 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Channel Islands. The most frequently seen is the Island Fox, with 2,752 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
2,752 observations
Giant Coreopsis
Leptosyne gigantea
1,662 observations · iNaturalist
Island Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma insularis
1,588 observations
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
1,305 observations
Lemonade Berry
Rhus integrifolia
987 observations · iNaturalist
Santa Cruz Island Wild Buckwheat
Eriogonum arborescens
961 observations · iNaturalist
Island Bush Monkeyflower
Diplacus parviflorus
785 observations · iNaturalist
Western Gull
Larus occidentalis
768 observations
Blue Dicks
Dipterostemon capitatus
752 observations · iNaturalist
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
678 observations
Common Raven
Corvus corax
653 observations
Coast Morning Glory
Calystegia macrostegia
563 observations · iNaturalist
Island Hazardia
Hazardia detonsa
542 observations · iNaturalist
California Poppy
Eschscholzia californica
534 observations
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
527 observations · iNaturalist
Island Paintbrush
Castilleja hololeuca
495 observations · iNaturalist
California Sagebrush
Artemisia californica
491 observations
Coyote Brush
Baccharis pilularis
484 observations · iNaturalist
Redflower Buckwheat
Eriogonum grande
462 observations · iNaturalist
Cliff Aster
Malacothrix saxatilis
450 observations · iNaturalist
Giant Kelp
Macrocystis pyrifera
444 observations · iNaturalist
California Sea Lion
Zalophus californianus
422 observations
Cardinal Catchfly
Silene laciniata
419 observations · iNaturalist
Greene's Dudleya
Dudleya greenei
418 observations · iNaturalist
Common Dolphin
Delphinus delphis
412 observations
Island Fence Lizard
Sceloporus becki
404 observations
Coast Paintbrush
Castilleja affinis
400 observations · iNaturalist
San Miguel Island Milkvetch
Astragalus miguelensis
373 observations · iNaturalist
Wavy Turban
Megastraea undosa
371 observations · iNaturalist
Island Ceanothus
Ceanothus arboreus
368 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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