All 5 in 3 days here: ~90%
City
Cologne
🇩🇪 Germany
Europe, Germany 193 spp. recorded
Cologne is also part of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, the second biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union. Centred on the left bank of the Rhine, Cologne is located on the River Rhine. Wikipedia
50.988° N 6.976° E
🦜 Nature
193 Species sighted
12,312 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jun Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
European Mole
Talpa europaea
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
barred grass snake
Natrix helvetica
LC
False Map Turtle
Graptemys pseudogeographica
LC
River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna
LC
Florida Redbelly Turtle
Pseudemys nelsoni
LC
Ouachita Map Turtle
Graptemys ouachitensis
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Marsh Frog
Pelophylax ridibundus
LC
Natterjack Toad
Epidalea calamita
LC
Pool Frog
Pelophylax lessonae
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
Challenges you can complete here
All 3 in 3 days here: ~10%
All 6 in 3 days here: ~10%
Recent sightings in Cologne
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Hohenzollernbrücke, Köln
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Hauptbahnhof und Dom, Köln
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Hiroshima-Nagasaki-Park, Köln
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Deutzer Brücke, Köln
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Dellbrücker Heide (NSG)
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Theodor-Heuss-Park
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Melaten-Friedhof, Köln
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Botanischer Garten, Köln
Daily sight. prob.vs avg -
Zoo Köln
Daily sight. prob.vs avg
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
19Jan
21Feb
26Mar
32Apr
35May
38Jun
35Jul
34Aug
30Sep
27Oct
22Nov
20Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
34%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
85
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
4
placesClimate
Oceanic
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.0
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 302
🐒 Mammals 74
🦎 Reptiles 19
🐸 Amphibians 17
412 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
16 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.8
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
66% 📊
Coverage (74 species at ≥5% of 412 in the inventory)
18% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)
0% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
3 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
13 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.4
Climate Harsh Low
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 34% land High
Protected areas 85 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 4 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Cologne?
193 species
Cologne's urban area has 193 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Wood Pigeon (about 90%), Carrion Crow (about 80%), Great Tit (about 80%), Eurasian Blackbird (about 80%) and Blue Tit (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Eurasian Red Squirrel (about 30%); among reptiles, Common Wall Lizard (about 10%); among amphibians, European Toad (about 20%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Cologne?
January–June and November
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in July–October and December.
Can you see a Carrion Crow in Cologne?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Carrion Crow sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 743 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is November (over 90%).
Can you see a Wood Pigeon in Cologne?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Wood Pigeon sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 687 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March to August (about 90%).
Can you see a Blue Tit in Cologne?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Tit sighting in Cologne on a given day, based on 592 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January (over 90%).
Where in Cologne is wildlife easiest to see?
Rheingarten
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Rheingarten (44 bird species recorded), followed by Rheinpark, Köln and Hohenzollernbrücke, Köln. See them on the map.
Is Cologne good for wildlife watching?
3.5 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Cologne gets 3.5/5: 315th of 380 cities worldwide and 36th in Europe. 19 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
![Rotterdam [The Hague]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/A_view_of_Rotterdam%2C_taken_from_the_roof_of_the_Maassilo%2C_Rotterdam%2C_The_Netherlands.jpg/330px-A_view_of_Rotterdam%2C_taken_from_the_roof_of_the_Maassilo%2C_Rotterdam%2C_The_Netherlands.jpg)
Nearest Parks
Nearest Zoos & Centres
Sources: urban area GHSL Urban Centre Database R2024A, European Commission JRC (CC BY 4.0) · protected land WDPA, UNEP-WCMC & IUCN (via GHSL) · climate NASA POWER · wildlife GBIF.org citizen-science data