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Wildlife in Tennessee

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

257,582
recent observations
30
species listed
11
plants
9
birds
6
insects & arthropods

Naturalists have logged 257,582 research-grade observations across the 30 most-recorded species in Tennessee. The most frequently seen is the Northern Cardinal, with 15,077 recorded sightings.

Plants account for the largest share of what gets recorded there (11 of the species listed here), followed by birds (9).

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

Spotted Wintergreen
🖨️ Printable wildlife checklist

Most-observed species in Tennessee

Northern Cardinal
Cardinalis cardinalis
15,077 observations
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
Papilio glaucus
12,635 observations
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
12,068 observations
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
11,601 observations
Christmas fern
Polystichum acrostichoides
10,656 observations
Common Box Turtle
Terrapene carolina
10,507 observations
Eastern Gray Squirrel
Sciurus carolinensis
10,422 observations
Pipevine Swallowtail
Battus philenor
10,294 observations
Eastern Bluebird
Sialia sialis
9,456 observations
American tuliptree
Liriodendron tulipifera
9,008 observations
Asian Lady Beetle
Harmonia axyridis
8,882 observations
Common Eastern Bumble Bee
Bombus impatiens
8,839 observations
mountain laurel
Kalmia latifolia
8,333 observations
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
7,964 observations
Central Ratsnake
Pantherophis alleghaniensis
7,909 observations
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
7,588 observations
downy rattlesnake plantain
Goodyera pubescens
7,509 observations
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
7,428 observations
mayapple
Podophyllum peltatum
7,370 observations
American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
7,241 observations
striped wintergreen
Chimaphila maculata
7,063 observations
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
6,981 observations
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica
6,879 observations
American cancer-root
Conopholis americana
6,751 observations
Wild Turkey
Meleagris gallopavo
6,693 observations
American Goldfinch
Spinus tristis
6,551 observations
Carolina Wren
Thryothorus ludovicianus
6,545 observations
galax
Galax urceolata
6,458 observations · iNaturalist
great rhododendron
Rhododendron maximum
6,439 observations
common jewelweed
Impatiens capensis
6,435 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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