All 3 in 3 days here: <5%
City
Phoenix
🇺🇸 United States
North America, United States 382 spp. recorded
Phoenix is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. And the most populous in the Mountain states and Southwest. Phoenix is the county seat of Maricopa County in the Salt River Valley and Arizona Sun Corridor and. Wikipedia
33.559° N 112.121° W
🦜 Nature
382 Species sighted
347,009 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Sep Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Phoenix
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Scottsdale · Chaparral Park
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Sun City Grand · Desert Springs Golf Course
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Eldorado Park
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Steele Indian School Park
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Rio Vista Community Park/Riparian Area
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
29Jan
30Feb
33Mar
37Apr
37May
36Jun
33Jul
36Aug
40Sep
37Oct
33Nov
29Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Low
Protected land
0.0%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
2
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Hot desert
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
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.5
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 487
🐒 Mammals 97
🦎 Reptiles 102
🐸 Amphibians 20
706 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
17 Threatened 9 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
72% 📊
Coverage (98 species at ≥5% of 706 in the inventory)
14% 🔀
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%)
14 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.3
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Low Low
Protected land & sea 0.0% land Low
Protected areas 2 Medium
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Phoenix?
382 species
Phoenix's urban area has 382 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Mourning Dove (about 80%), Gila Woodpecker (about 80%), House Finch (about 80%), Curve-billed Thrasher (about 80%) and Northern Mockingbird (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Desert Cottontail (about 40%); among reptiles, Desert Spiny Lizard (about 40%); among amphibians, Woodhouse's Toad (about 10%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Phoenix?
April and May
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 70% in June to March. Those are among Phoenix's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 35 mm in January.
Can you see a Gila Woodpecker in Phoenix?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Gila Woodpecker sighting in Phoenix on a given day, based on 16,463 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is August and September (about 90%).
Can you see a Verdin in Phoenix?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Verdin sighting in Phoenix on a given day, based on 14,769 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is September (about 90%).
Can you see a Curve-billed Thrasher in Phoenix?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Curve-billed Thrasher sighting in Phoenix on a given day, based on 15,744 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is August and September (about 90%).
Where in Phoenix is wildlife easiest to see?
Desert Botanical Garden
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is Desert Botanical Garden (160 bird species recorded), followed by Papago Park and Moon Valley Park. See them on the map.
Is Phoenix good for wildlife watching?
4.2 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Phoenix gets 4.2/5: 174th of 380 cities worldwide and 22nd in North America. 17 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
Nearest Cities
Nearest Parks
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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