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Wildlife in Iowa

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

88,018
recent observations
30
species listed
10
birds
8
insects & arthropods
6
plants

Naturalists have logged 88,018 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Iowa. The most frequently seen is the House Sparrow, with 7,931 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (10 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (8).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Iowa

House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
7,931 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
5,831 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
5,573 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
4,152 observations
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
3,847 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
3,836 observations
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
3,720 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
3,451 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
3,164 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
2,581 observations
Red-winged Blackbird
Agelaius phoeniceus
2,566 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
2,470 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
2,424 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
2,373 observations
Wild Bergamot
Monarda fistulosa
2,332 observations
Bald Eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus
2,289 observations
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
2,276 observations
Tall Bellflower
Campanulastrum americanum
2,262 observations · iNaturalist
Golden Oyster Mushroom
Pleurotus citrinopileatus
2,240 observations · iNaturalist
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
2,195 observations
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
2,182 observations
Amur Honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
2,108 observations
Eastern Cottontail
Sylvilagus floridanus
2,106 observations
Downy Woodpecker
Dryobates pubescens
2,091 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
2,067 observations
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
2,025 observations
Ground-ivy
Glechoma hederacea
2,012 observations · iNaturalist
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
1,991 observations
American Pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
1,974 observations
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
1,949 observations

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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