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Wildlife near Santa Clarita, CA

Illustrated wildlife of Santa Clarita

Santa Clarita sits in the dry hills north of Los Angeles where the Santa Clara River still runs mostly wild. The river bottom holds herons, and the surrounding chaparral and oak woodland bring coyotes, bobcats, mule deer, and the occasional mountain lion moving through. Acorn woodpeckers stash acorns in the oaks, California quail scurry the brush, and red-tailed hawks ride the canyon updrafts.

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

191,807
recent observations
30
species listed
13
birds
8
plants
3
reptiles & amphibians

Naturalists have logged 191,807 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species near Santa Clarita. The most frequently seen is the Western Fence Lizard, with 21,607 recorded sightings.

Birds account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (13 of the species listed here), followed by plants (8).

🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species near Santa Clarita

Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
21,607 observations
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
9,948 observations
Western Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
8,916 observations
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Sciurus niger
8,439 observations
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
7,887 observations
California Buckwheat
Eriogonum fasciculatum
7,410 observations · iNaturalist
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
6,869 observations
California Towhee
Melozone crissalis
6,483 observations
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
6,476 observations
Lesser Goldfinch
Spinus psaltria
6,083 observations
Laurel Sumac
Malosma laurina
6,029 observations · iNaturalist
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
5,925 observations
Acorn Woodpecker
Melanerpes formicivorus
5,898 observations
California Scrub-Jay
Aphelocoma californica
5,887 observations
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
5,730 observations
Toyon
Heteromeles arbutifolia
5,478 observations · iNaturalist
Sacred Datura
Datura wrightii
5,450 observations
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
5,434 observations
Coyote
Canis latrans
5,432 observations
Coast Live Oak
Quercus agrifolia
5,287 observations
Arizona Mantis
Stagmomantis limbata
5,036 observations · iNaturalist
Chaparral Yucca
Hesperoyucca whipplei
4,959 observations · iNaturalist
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
4,854 observations
Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata
4,624 observations
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
4,510 observations
Pacific Poison Oak
Toxicodendron diversilobum
4,369 observations
Black Sage
Salvia mellifera
4,331 observations · iNaturalist
Anna's Hummingbird
Calypte anna
4,179 observations
Cooper's Hawk
Astur cooperii
4,147 observations · iNaturalist
Gray Bird Grasshopper
Schistocerca nitens
4,130 observations · iNaturalist

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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