All 4 in 3 days here: ~90%
City
Philadelphia
🇺🇸 United States
North America, United States 342 spp. recorded
Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. State of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States. The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as the Delaware Valley, is located in both the Mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States. Wikipedia
39.970° N 75.160° W
🦜 Nature
342 Species sighted
605,551 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Aug Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Dusky Salamander
Desmognathus fuscus
LC
Cuban Treefrog
Osteopilus septentrionalis
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
White-rumped Munia
Lonchura striata
NT
Eastern Whip-poor-will
Antrostomus vociferus
Challenges you can complete here
All 3 in 3 days here: ~30%
All 3 in 3 days here: ~10%
All 6 in 3 days here: ~10%
Recent sightings in Philadelphia
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Palmyra Cove Nature Park
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Pennypack on the Delaware
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Wissahickon Valley Park · Houston Meadow
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Haverford College (Montgomery Co.)
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Woodlands Cemetery
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Pennypack Park--North (Pine to Krewstown, incl. Environmental Center)
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Shortridge Memorial Park
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Haverford College (Delaware Co.)
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
27Jan
27Feb
33Mar
45Apr
57May
59Jun
61Jul
63Aug
58Sep
48Oct
38Nov
29Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
0.3%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
24
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
3
placesClimate
Humid subtropical
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
0.0 Excellent
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
5.0
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 456
🐒 Mammals 63
🦎 Reptiles 50
🐸 Amphibians 43
612 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
28 Threatened 26 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.3
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
68% 📊
Coverage (122 species at ≥5% of 612 in the inventory)
20% 🔀
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)
2 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
18 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.0
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 0.3% land Low
Protected areas 24 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 3 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Philadelphia?
342 species
Philadelphia's urban area has 342 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Northern Cardinal (about 90%), American Robin (about 90%), Mourning Dove (about 70%), Song Sparrow (about 70%) and Carolina Wren (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Eastern Gray Squirrel (about 60%); among reptiles, Pond Slider (about 30%); among amphibians, American Toad (about 30%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Philadelphia?
September to July
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in August.
Can you see a Northern Cardinal in Philadelphia?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Cardinal sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 27,030 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is December to October (about 90%).
Can you see a Carolina Wren in Philadelphia?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report a Carolina Wren sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 18,174 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is August (about 80%).
Can you see an American Robin in Philadelphia?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report an American Robin sighting in Philadelphia on a given day, based on 27,441 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April (over 90%).
Where in Philadelphia is wildlife easiest to see?
Palmyra Cove Nature Park
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Palmyra Cove Nature Park (219 bird species recorded), followed by Bartram's Garden and Pennypack on the Delaware. See them on the map.
Is Philadelphia good for wildlife watching?
4.5 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Philadelphia gets 4.5/5: 107th of 380 cities worldwide and 10th in North America. 20 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