All 3 in 3 days here: <5%
City
Sacramento
🇺🇸 United States
North America, United States 337 spp. recorded
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. The county seat of Sacramento County, it is located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in the Sacramento Valley. It is the fourth-most populous city in Northern California, sixth-most populous city in the state. Wikipedia
38.593° N 121.388° W
🦜 Nature
337 Species sighted
465,703 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
May Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC Endemic
Sierra Newt
Taricha sierrae
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
Mediterranean House Gecko
Hemidactylus turcicus
Challenges you can complete here
All 6 in 3 days here: <5%
Recent sightings in Sacramento
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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American River Parkway · William B Pond Rec Area
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Bridgeway Island Pond
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American River Parkway · Sailor Bar
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BACKYARD / GRISTMILL AREA
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American River Parkway--Nimbus Fish Hatchery downstream to Upper Sunrise Nimbus Road Parking Area
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North Natomas Regional Park
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American River Parkway · Effie Yeaw Nature Center
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American River Parkway · Ancil Hoffman Park
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American River Parkway · Estates Dr
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American River Parkway · Gristmill Recreation Area
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
37Jan
41Feb
49Mar
56Apr
57May
54Jun
52Jul
54Aug
56Sep
55Oct
45Nov
40Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
0.6%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
13
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
1
placesClimate
Mediterranean
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 World-class
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
4.5
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 417
🐒 Mammals 98
🦎 Reptiles 41
🐸 Amphibians 13
569 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
26 Threatened 21 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
4.8
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
69% 📊
Coverage (128 species at ≥5% of 569 in the inventory)
22% 🔀
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)
4 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
25 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.7
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 0.6% land Low
Protected areas 13 High
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 1 Medium
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Sacramento?
337 species
Sacramento's urban area has 337 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are California Scrub-Jay (about 90%), Black Phoebe (about 80%), Mourning Dove (about 80%), House Finch (about 80%) and Anna's Hummingbird (about 70%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Fox Squirrel (about 50%); among reptiles, Western Fence Lizard (about 40%); among amphibians, Pacific chorus frog (about 20%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Sacramento?
February to December
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in January.
Can you see a California Scrub-Jay in Sacramento?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a California Scrub-Jay sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 17,249 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is May to November (about 90%).
Can you see an Oak Titmouse in Sacramento?
Yes
About 70% of wildlife watchers report an Oak Titmouse sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 12,312 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is March to December (about 70%).
Can you see a Nuttall's Woodpecker in Sacramento?
Yes
About 60% of wildlife watchers report a Nuttall's Woodpecker sighting in Sacramento on a given day, based on 10,494 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is August and September (about 80%).
Where in Sacramento is wildlife easiest to see?
American River Parkway · William B Pond Rec Area
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is American River Parkway · William B Pond Rec Area (180 bird species recorded), followed by William Land Park and Bridgeway Island Pond. See them on the map.
Is Sacramento good for wildlife watching?
4.7 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Sacramento gets 4.7/5: 42nd of 380 cities worldwide and 2nd in North America. 29 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