City
Riyadh
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
Asia, Saudi Arabia 154 spp. recorded
Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Wikipedia
24.683° N 46.719° E
🦜 Nature
154 Species sighted
2,690 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Apr Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
LC
Desert Hedgehog
Paraechinus aethiopicus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Sudan Mabuya
Trachylepis brevicollis
LC
Yellow Fan-fingered Gecko
Ptyodactylus hasselquistii
LC
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
LC
Rough-tailed Gecko
Cyrtopodion scabrum
Caspian Turtle
Mauremys caspica
LC
Palestine Saw-scaled Viper
Echis coloratus
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
LC
Yellow Fan-fingered Gecko
Ptyodactylus hasselquistii
LC
Rough-tailed Gecko
Cyrtopodion scabrum
LC
Clamorous Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus stentoreus
Alexandrine Parakeet
Psittacula eupatria
LC
Common Nightingale
Luscinia megarhynchos
LC
Alpine Swift
Tachymarptis melba
Recent sightings in Riyadh
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Wadi Hanifah (وادي حنيفة)
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
17Jan
17Feb
18Mar
22Apr
19May
19Jun
12Jul
17Aug
18Sep
19Oct
14Nov
19Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Low
Protected land
0.1%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
1
areasWildlife spots
1
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Hot desert
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
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
2.6
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 241
🐒 Mammals 32
🦎 Reptiles 49
🐸 Amphibians 3
325 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
14 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
4.2
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
69% 📊
Coverage (84 species at ≥5% of 325 in the inventory)
26% 🔀
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%)
18 🏕️
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.0
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Low Low
Protected land & sea 0.1% land Low
Protected areas 1 Medium
Wildlife spots 1 Low
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Riyadh?
154 species
Riyadh's urban area has 154 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Laughing Dove (about 90%), House Sparrow (about 90%), White-eared Bulbul (about 90%), Rock Pigeon (about 80%) and Little Egret (about 70%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Riyadh?
March and April
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 50% in July.
Can you see a Rüppell's Weaver in Riyadh?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Rüppell's Weaver sighting in Riyadh on a given day, based on 74 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March (about 80%).
Can you see a White-eared Bulbul in Riyadh?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a White-eared Bulbul sighting in Riyadh on a given day, based on 171 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is January, March–April and July (over 90%).
Can you see a Black Scrub-Robin in Riyadh?
Yes
About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black Scrub-Robin sighting in Riyadh on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April (about 70%).
Is Riyadh good for wildlife watching?
3.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Riyadh gets 3.8/5: 281st of 380 cities worldwide and 117th in Asia. 20 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