City
Osaka
🇯🇵 Japan
Asia, Japan 291 spp. recorded
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third-most populous city proper in Japan, following the special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. Wikipedia
34.702° N 135.285° E
🦜 Nature
291 Species sighted
120,004 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Sep Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
LC Endemic
Japanese Marten
Martes melampus
LC Endemic
Japanese Shrew-mole
Urotrichus talpoides
NT Endemic
Japanese Weasel
Mustela itatsi
VU
Asiatic Black Bear
Ursus thibetanus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
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LC Endemic
Burrowing Ratsnake
Euprepiophis conspicillata
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Japanese Tree Frog
Dryophytes japonicus
LC Endemic
Kajika Frog
Buergeria buergeri
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
🌙 Most active after dark
Recent sightings in Osaka
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Kyoto Gyoen Garden / Kyoto Imperial Palace Park
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Osaka Nanko Bird Sanctuary
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Kyoto · Katsura River · Togetsu Bridge
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Hirakata · Yamadaike Park
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Kyoto · Kamo River · Shijo-Ohashi Bridge / Gion
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Kyoto · Nijo Castle
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Temple of the Golden Pavilion
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Toyonaka · Hattori Greenbelt Park
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Kyoto · Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
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Kyoto · Otowasan Kiyomizu-dera Temple
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Kyoto · Takaragaike Pond
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
24Jan
25Feb
28Mar
37Apr
41May
48Jun
47Jul
50Aug
50Sep
43Oct
36Nov
29Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Low
Protected land
6%
Protected sea
2%
Protected areas
44
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
15
placesClimate
Humid subtropical
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?
4.8
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 395
🐒 Mammals 103
🦎 Reptiles 31
🐸 Amphibians 31
560 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
45 Threatened 34 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% 📊
Coverage (88 species at ≥5% of 560 in the inventory)
16% 🔀
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)
2 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
19 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.0
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Low Low
Protected land & sea 6% land · 2% sea High
Protected areas 44 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 15 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Osaka?
291 species
Osaka's urban area has 291 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Eurasian Tree Sparrow (about 80%), Grey Heron (about 70%), Brown-eared Bulbul (about 70%), Rock Pigeon (about 60%) and Eastern Spot-billed Duck (about 60%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Japanese Macaque (about 50%); among reptiles, Japanese Skink (about 40%); among amphibians, American Bullfrog (about 20%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Osaka?
October
In that month the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in November to September.
Can you see a Japanese Macaque in Osaka?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Macaque sighting in Osaka on a given day, based on 466 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February–March, June–August, October and December (about 50%).
Can you see a Brown-eared Bulbul in Osaka?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-eared Bulbul sighting in Osaka on a given day, based on 5,295 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is February and October–December (about 80%).
Can you see a Japanese Skink in Osaka?
Yes
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Skink sighting in Osaka on a given day, based on 322 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is July to September (about 60%).
Where in Osaka is wildlife easiest to see?
Kyoto Gyoen Garden / Kyoto Imperial Palace Park
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Kyoto Gyoen Garden / Kyoto Imperial Palace Park (96 bird species recorded), followed by Osaka Castle Park and Osaka Nanko Bird Sanctuary. See them on the map.
Is Osaka good for wildlife watching?
4.2 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Osaka gets 4.2/5: 183rd of 380 cities worldwide and 75th in Asia. 24 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