City
Sendai
🇯🇵 Japan
Asia, Japan 192 spp. recorded
Sendai is the capital city of Miyagi Prefecture and the largest city in the Tōhoku region. Wikipedia
38.269° N 140.933° E
🦜 Nature
192 Species sighted
16,610 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Aug Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
LC
Asian Particolored Bat
Vespertilio sinensis
LC Endemic
Japanese Macaque
Macaca fuscata
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Tiger Keelback
Rhabdophis tigrinus
LC
Schlegel's Japanese Gecko
Gekko japonicus
LC Endemic
Japanese five-lined skink
Plestiodon finitimus
LC Endemic
Japanese Four-lined Ratsnake
Elaphe quadrivirgata
LC Endemic
Burrowing Ratsnake
Euprepiophis conspicillata
LC
Peters' Odd-scaled Snake
Achalinus spinalis
LC Endemic
Oriental Odd-tooth Snake
Lycodon orientalis
📊 Most Spotted
LC Endemic
Daruma Pond Frog
Pelophylax porosus
LC Endemic
Schlegel's Green Tree Frog
Zhangixalus schlegelii
LC
Black-spotted Frog
Pelophylax nigromaculatus
LC
Wrinkled Frog
Glandirana rugosa
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
Recent sightings in Sendai
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
-
Aobayama Park / Sendai Castle Site
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
29Jan
31Feb
31Mar
38Apr
39May
41Jun
45Jul
52Aug
47Sep
46Oct
35Nov
33Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
Medium
Protected land
44%
Protected sea
10%
Protected areas
7
areasWildlife spots
1
spotsZoos & centres
2
placesClimate
Humid subtropical
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
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
4.2
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 320
🐒 Mammals 98
🦎 Reptiles 19
🐸 Amphibians 23
460 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
34 Threatened 34 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
5.0
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
77% 📊
Coverage (111 species at ≥5% of 460 in the inventory)
24% 🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (10 bird, 2 mammal)
37% 🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
6 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
29 🏕️
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
3.8
Climate Harsh Low
Green cover Medium Medium
Protected land & sea 44% land · 10% sea High
Protected areas 7 High
Wildlife spots 1 Low
Zoos & centres 2 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Sendai?
192 species
Sendai's urban area has 192 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Brown-eared Bulbul (about 90%), Cinereous Tit (about 80%), Japanese Squirrel (about 80%), Eastern Spot-billed Duck (about 80%) and Masked Palm Civet (about 80%). Among reptiles, the most-seen is Japanese Grass Lizard (about 30%); among amphibians, Japanese Toad (about 30%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Sendai?
April–June and August–November
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 80% on a given day, against about 70% in July and December–March.
Can you see a Japanese Squirrel in Sendai?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Japanese Squirrel sighting in Sendai on a given day, based on 1,534 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is August to October (about 90%).
Can you see a Masked Palm Civet in Sendai?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Masked Palm Civet sighting in Sendai on a given day, based on 382 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is June and November (about 90%).
Can you see a Brown-eared Bulbul in Sendai?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-eared Bulbul sighting in Sendai on a given day, based on 573 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is April, June and September–October (over 90%).
Is Sendai good for wildlife watching?
4.8 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Sendai gets 4.8/5: 32nd of 380 cities worldwide and 11th in Asia. 35 of its species are reported by about 40% or more of wildlife watchers on a given day.
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