Wildlife in North Carolina

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

500,086

recent observations

30

species listed

11

birds

8

insects & arthropods

6

plants

Naturalists have logged 500,086 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in North Carolina. The most frequently seen is the Eastern Gray Squirrel, with 28,427 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (11 of the species listed here), followed by insects & arthropods (8).

Rarer finds confirmed in North Carolina include Spotted Wintergreen - uncommon enough that a sighting is worth logging.

Spotted Wintergreen

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in North Carolina

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

28,427 observations

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Papilio glaucus

26,522 observations

Northern Cardinal

Cardinalis cardinalis

26,400 observations

Anolis carolinensis

25,751 observations

Common Box Turtle

Terrapene carolina

24,970 observations

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

22,250 observations

Asian Lady Beetle

Harmonia axyridis

20,937 observations

Turdus migratorius

19,368 observations

Polystichum acrostichoides

18,427 observations

Eastern Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa virginica

17,917 observations

Eastern Bluebird

17,555 observations

Common Eastern Bumble Bee

Bombus impatiens

16,305 observations

American sweetgum

Liquidambar styraciflua

15,513 observations

American tuliptree

Liriodendron tulipifera

15,318 observations

Northern Mockingbird

Mimus polyglottos

15,263 observations

Great Blue Heron

14,504 observations

Danaus plexippus

13,637 observations

American pokeweed

Phytolacca americana

13,470 observations

Branta canadensis

12,959 observations

striped wintergreen

Chimaphila maculata

12,851 observations

Silver-spotted Skipper

Epargyreus clarus

12,500 observations

crane-fly orchid

Tipularia discolor

12,465 observations · iNaturalist

Western Honey Bee

12,448 observations

Thryothorus ludovicianus

12,395 observations

Haemorhous mexicanus

12,328 observations

Central Ratsnake

Pantherophis alleghaniensis

12,294 observations

Anas platyrhynchos

12,143 observations

Zenaida macroura

11,941 observations

Yellow Garden Spider

Argiope aurantia

11,713 observations

Red-shouldered Hawk

11,515 observations

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