City
Gwangju
🇰🇷 South Korea
Asia, South Korea 112 spp. recorded
Gwangju, formerly romanized as Kwangju, was a city in South Korea. Wikipedia
35.168° N 126.847° E
🦜 Nature
112 Species sighted
2,916 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Oct Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Yellow-throated Marten
Martes flavigula
LC
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
River Cooter
Pseudemys concinna
LC
Manchurian Black Ratsnake
Elaphe schrenckii
LC
Amur Grass Lizard
Takydromus amurensis
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Japanese Tree Frog
Dryophytes japonicus
LC
Black-spotted Frog
Pelophylax nigromaculatus
LC
Oriental Fire-bellied Toad
Bombina orientalis
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Yellow-throated Marten
Martes flavigula
Recent sightings in Gwangju
LIVEiNaturalistSighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
14Jan
20Feb
15Mar
20Apr
20May
20Jun
18Jul
7Aug
19Sep
21Oct
20Nov
14Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
1%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
3
areasWildlife spots
0
spotsZoos & centres
0
placesClimate
Humid subtropical
World Heritage
No
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 275
🐒 Mammals 60
🦎 Reptiles 20
🐸 Amphibians 15
370 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
20 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
68% 📊
Coverage (63 species at ≥5% of 370 in the inventory)
17% 🔀
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)
1 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
17 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.5
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 1% land Medium
Protected areas 3 Medium
Wildlife spots 0 Low
Zoos & centres 0 Low
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Gwangju?
112 species
Gwangju's urban area has 112 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Brown-eared Bulbul (over 90%), Oriental Magpie (over 90%), Eurasian Tree Sparrow (about 80%), Cinereous Tit (about 80%) and Oriental Turtle Dove (about 70%). Among amphibians, the most-seen is Asiatic Toad (about 40%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Gwangju?
March–June and September–November
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in July and December–February.
Can you see a Brown-eared Bulbul in Gwangju?
Yes
Over 90% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-eared Bulbul sighting in Gwangju on a given day, based on 220 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March–June and September–December (over 90%).
Can you see an Oriental Magpie in Gwangju?
Yes
Over 90% of wildlife watchers report an Oriental Magpie sighting in Gwangju on a given day, based on 201 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March–June and September–November (over 90%).
Can you see a Mandarin Duck in Gwangju?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Mandarin Duck sighting in Gwangju on a given day, based on 99 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October and November (about 80%).
Is Gwangju good for wildlife watching?
3.6 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Gwangju gets 3.6/5: 297th of 380 cities worldwide and 124th in Asia. 20 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
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