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Wildlife near Denver, Colorado

Illustrated wildlife of Denver

Denver runs up against the Front Range, and mountain wildlife spills down into the city. Mule deer and red foxes work the parks, black-billed magpies rattle from the cottonwoods, and Canada geese have taken over every pond and playing field. The South Platte River greenway carries herons, kingfishers, and the occasional beaver right through downtown, and raptors ride the thermals off the foothills all winter.

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

94,862
recent observations
30
species listed
10
birds
11
plants
3
mammals

Naturalists have logged 94,862 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Denver. The most frequently seen is the Showy Milkweed, with 5,140 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (10 of the species listed here), followed by plants (11).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Denver

Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
5,140 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
4,963 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
4,746 observations
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
4,639 observations
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
4,121 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
3,941 observations
Great Plains Yucca
Yucca glauca
3,940 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
3,793 observations
Great Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
3,715 observations
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
3,715 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
3,677 observations
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
3,369 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
3,336 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
3,069 observations
Field Bindweed
Convolvulus arvensis
3,015 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
2,898 observations
Common Starlily
Leucocrinum montanum
2,798 observations · iNaturalist
Rubber Rabbitbrush
Ericameria nauseosa
2,722 observations · iNaturalist
Creeping Mahonia
Berberis repens
2,703 observations · iNaturalist
Bold Jumping Spider
Phidippus audax
2,603 observations
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
2,423 observations
Rocky Mountains Ponderosa Pine
Pinus scopulorum
2,413 observations · iNaturalist
Western Terrestrial Garter Snake
Thamnophis elegans
2,322 observations
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
2,294 observations
Chokecherry
Prunus virginiana
2,258 observations
Redstem Stork's-bill
Erodium cicutarium
2,102 observations · iNaturalist
Double-crested Cormorant
Nannopterum auritum
2,101 observations
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
2,024 observations
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
2,020 observations
Thistle Poppy
Argemone polyanthemos
2,002 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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