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Wildlife near Kansas City, MO

Illustrated wildlife of Kansas City

Kansas City straddles the Missouri River right where the eastern forest gives way to the prairie, and both worlds show up. The river and its bluffs draw bald eagles, pelicans, and great blue herons, the neighborhoods hold fox squirrels, cottontails, and northern cardinals, and the restored prairies at the city’s edge bring back meadowlarks and the occasional coyote. Monarchs pour through on the central flyway each fall.

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

23,878
recent observations
30
species listed
9
birds
9
insects & arthropods
6
plants

Naturalists have logged 23,878 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Kansas City. The most frequently seen is the American Robin, with 1,536 recorded sightings.

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

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Kansas City

American Robin
Turdus migratorius
1,536 observations
Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
1,345 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
1,324 observations
Amur honeysuckle
Lonicera maackii
1,270 observations
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
974 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
945 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
911 observations
North American Wheel Bug
Arilus cristatus
824 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
817 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
794 observations
American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
767 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
747 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
744 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
740 observations
Blanchard's Cricket Frog
Acris blanchardi
715 observations
mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
689 observations
Common Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon fasciatus
689 observations
Great Blue Heron
Ardea herodias
686 observations
Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
Chauliognathus pensylvanicus
646 observations · iNaturalist
common milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
643 observations
Common Buckeye
Junonia coenia
633 observations
common pawpaw
Asimina triloba
630 observations
Hackberry Emperor
Asterocampa celtis
615 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
612 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
610 observations
eastern redbud
Cercis canadensis
606 observations
Black Swallowtail
Papilio polyxenes
604 observations
American Toad
Anaxyrus americanus
599 observations
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
594 observations
Ring-necked Snake
Diadophis punctatus
569 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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