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Wildlife in North Dakota

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

15,820
recent observations
30
species listed
14
plants
4
mammals
6
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 15,820 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in North Dakota. The most frequently seen is the American Bison, with 1,343 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (14 of the species listed here), followed by mammals (4).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in North Dakota

American Bison
Bos bison
1,343 observations · iNaturalist
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Cynomys ludovicianus
987 observations
Plains Pricklypear
Opuntia polyacantha
796 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
792 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
622 observations
Brown-belted Bumble Bee
Bombus griseocollis
591 observations
Creeping Thistle
Cirsium arvense
558 observations
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
536 observations
Upright Prairie Coneflower
Ratibida columnifera
524 observations
Northern Leopard Frog
Lithobates pipiens
518 observations
Two-spotted Bumble Bee
Bombus bimaculatus
513 observations
Western Snowberry
Symphoricarpos occidentalis
513 observations · iNaturalist
Yellow Sweetclover
Melilotus officinalis
493 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
487 observations
Canada Goose
Branta canadensis
482 observations
Domestic Horse
Equus caballus
438 observations
Hunt's Bumble Bee
Bombus huntii
433 observations · iNaturalist
Silver Buffaloberry
Shepherdia argentea
432 observations
Narrow-leaved Purple Coneflower
Echinacea angustifolia
423 observations
Ring-necked Pheasant
Phasianus colchicus
413 observations
Wild Licorice
Glycyrrhiza lepidota
406 observations · iNaturalist
Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
399 observations
Showy Milkweed
Asclepias speciosa
395 observations
Prairie Pasqueflower
Pulsatilla nuttalliana
395 observations · iNaturalist
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
392 observations
Common Milkweed
Asclepias syriaca
392 observations
Leafy Spurge Hawkmoth
Hyles euphorbiae
392 observations · iNaturalist
Dotted Gayfeather
Liatris punctata
386 observations · iNaturalist
Smooth Brome
Bromus inermis
385 observations
Purple Prairie Clover
Dalea purpurea
384 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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