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Wildlife near Indianapolis, Indiana

Illustrated wildlife of Indianapolis

Indianapolis spreads across flat central-Indiana farmland with the White River cutting through the middle. The river and the canal downtown draw great blue herons, wood ducks, and beavers, while the neighborhoods run to northern cardinals, eastern cottontails, and fox squirrels. Eagle Creek Park on the west side is large enough to hold nesting bald eagles and pull in migrating waterfowl, and monarchs move through on the central flyway each fall.

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

38,342
recent observations
30
species listed
14
plants
8
birds
7
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 38,342 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Indianapolis. The most frequently seen is the Margined Calligrapher, with 3,074 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (14 of the species listed here), followed by birds (8).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Indianapolis

Margined Calligrapher
Toxomerus marginatus
3,074 observations · iNaturalist
Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
2,013 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
1,971 observations
Virginia Springbeauty
Claytonia virginica
1,831 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
1,630 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
1,496 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
1,478 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
1,450 observations
prairie trillium
Trillium recurvatum
1,410 observations
mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
1,401 observations
harbinger of spring
Erigenia bulbosa
1,354 observations · iNaturalist
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
1,250 observations
bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
1,226 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
1,209 observations
cut-leaved toothwort
Cardamine concatenata
1,099 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
1,041 observations
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
1,033 observations
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
1,030 observations
American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
1,027 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
1,023 observations
common pawpaw
Asimina triloba
990 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
972 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
930 observations
common jewelweed
Impatiens capensis
928 observations
eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis
919 observations
American sycamore
Platanus occidentalis
919 observations
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
919 observations
garlic mustard
Alliaria petiolata
919 observations
false rue anemone
Enemion biternatum
900 observations · iNaturalist
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
900 observations

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