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Wildlife in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park

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

139,223
recent observations
30
species listed
10
birds
9
plants
6
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 139,223 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in C&O Canal. The most frequently seen is the White-tailed Deer, with 12,802 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (10 of the species listed here), followed by plants (9).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in C&O Canal

White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
12,802 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
7,841 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
6,991 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
6,179 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
5,680 observations
Spotted Lanternfly
Lycorma delicatula
5,470 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
5,146 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
4,999 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
4,910 observations
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
4,580 observations
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
4,424 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
4,319 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
4,276 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
4,228 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
4,201 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
3,896 observations
garlic mustard
Alliaria petiolata
3,874 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
3,843 observations
Huron Skipper
Atalopedes huron
3,716 observations · iNaturalist
Virginia bluebells
Mertensia virginica
3,683 observations
mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
3,653 observations
Red-shouldered Hawk
Buteo lineatus
3,620 observations
Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
3,592 observations
wineberry
Rubus phoenicolasius
3,537 observations
Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
3,456 observations
common pawpaw
Asimina triloba
3,294 observations
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
3,285 observations
Common Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
3,279 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
3,275 observations
lesser celandine
Ficaria verna
3,174 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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