All 4 in 3 days here: <5%
City
Denver
🇺🇸 United States
North America, United States 403 spp. recorded
Denver, officially the City and County of Denver, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. Officially a consolidated city and county, it is located in the South Platte River valley on the western edge of the High Plains, and is just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Wikipedia
39.737° N 104.952° W
🦜 Nature
403 Species sighted
1,179,524 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jul Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Greenhouse Frog
Eleutherodactylus planirostris
LC
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
American Bison
Bison bison
LC
White-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus townsendii
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Denver
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Wheat Ridge Greenbelt
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Cherry Creek SP
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Bluff Lake Nature Center
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Main Reservoir (Lakewood)
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S Kipling Pkwy to S Wadsworth Blvd
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Plaster Reservoir
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Cherry Creek SP · Pelican Point area
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Cherry Creek SP · Cottonwood Creek Wetlands
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Wheat Ridge Greenbelt · Prospect Park & Lake
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Cherry Creek SP · Railroad Bed Trail
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Cherry Creek SP · Marina & nearby Dam Trail
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
23Jan
23Feb
29Mar
36Apr
43May
48Jun
50Jul
49Aug
48Sep
40Oct
28Nov
25Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
2%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
202
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
2
placesClimate
Cold semi-arid
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.5
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 479
🐒 Mammals 115
🦎 Reptiles 36
🐸 Amphibians 15
645 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
23 Threatened 16 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
61% 📊
Coverage (107 species at ≥5% of 645 in the inventory)
17% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 mammal)
20% 🌟
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%)
14 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.0
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 2% land Medium
Protected areas 202 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 2 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Denver?
403 species
Denver's urban area has 403 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Northern Flicker (about 80%), House Finch (about 80%), Black-capped Chickadee (about 70%), Mallard (about 70%) and American Robin (about 60%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Fox Squirrel (about 50%); among reptiles, Western Terrestrial Garter Snake (about 30%); among amphibians, American Bullfrog (about 20%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Denver?
March and April
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 50% in August.
Can you see a Black-capped Chickadee in Denver?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Black-capped Chickadee sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 51,773 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January–March and July–October (about 80%).
Can you see a Black-billed Magpie in Denver?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black-billed Magpie sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 34,466 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October and November (about 70%).
Can you see a Black-tailed Prairie Dog in Denver?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black-tailed Prairie Dog sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 819 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March–April and June–October (about 40%).
Where in Denver is wildlife easiest to see?
Wheat Ridge Greenbelt
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Wheat Ridge Greenbelt (202 bird species recorded), followed by Cherry Creek SP and Bluff Lake Nature Center. See them on the map.
Is Denver good for wildlife watching?
4.0 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Denver gets 4.0/5: 226th of 380 cities worldwide and 32nd in North America. 19 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
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