All 5 in 3 days here: ~80%
City
Sofia
🇧🇬 Bulgaria
Europe, Bulgaria 173 spp. recorded
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain, in the western part of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river and has many mineral springs, such as the Sofia Central Mineral Baths. Wikipedia
42.683° N 23.324° E
🦜 Nature
173 Species sighted
47,853 Verified sightings From 2019 to 2026
Jun Best month
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
European Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida teniotis
LC
Brown Rat
Rattus norvegicus
LC
Red Fox
Vulpes vulpes
LC
European Wood Mouse
Apodemus sylvaticus
LC
Stone Marten
Martes foina
LC
Wild Boar
Sus scrofa
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
📊 Most Spotted
LC
Green Lizard
Lacerta viridis
LC
Smooth Snake
Coronella austriaca
📊 Most Spotted
LC
European Common Frog
Rana temporaria
VU
Fire Salamander
Salamandra salamandra
LC
Balkan-Anatolian Crested Newt
Triturus ivanbureschi
📊 Most Spotted
🌙 Most active after dark
LC
European Free-tailed Bat
Tadarida teniotis
Challenges you can complete here
Recent sightings in Sofia
LIVEiNaturalistWhere to look
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
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Borisova Gradina Park
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South Park · Dog Park
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Knyazheska Garden and Perlovska River
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City and Royal Gardens
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Alexander Nevski Cathedral Green Areas
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National Palace of Culture Park
Sighting Calendar
How many species you'd see in a day
21Jan
23Feb
25Mar
30Apr
31May
32Jun
31Jul
32Aug
30Sep
29Oct
24Nov
22Dec
🏙️ City
Essentials
Green cover
High
Protected land
22%
Protected sea
—
Protected areas
2
areasWildlife spots
12
spotsZoos & centres
2
placesClimate
Continental
World Heritage
No
Climate
Temp °C Rain mm
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Zoos & rescue centres
0.0 Good
Wallace's Line Score
How good is this city for seeing wildlife? 🦜
Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
3.4
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds 325
🐒 Mammals 84
🦎 Reptiles 30
🐸 Amphibians 15
454 Total Species
679 Global average across 380 cities
22 Threatened 0 Endemic
🔭
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
3.9
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
69% 📊
Coverage (74 species at ≥5% of 454 in the inventory)
16% 🔀
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)
0 ⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
17 🏕️
Experience
ExcellentHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
4.5
Climate Mixed Medium
Green cover High High
Protected land & sea 22% land High
Protected areas 2 Medium
Wildlife spots 12 High
Zoos & centres 2 High
What visitors say
Before you go
What animals can you see in Sofia?
173 species
Sofia's urban area has 173 recorded vertebrate species. The ones wildlife watchers report most often on a given day are Great Tit (about 90%), Eurasian Magpie (about 90%), Rock Pigeon (about 80%), Blue Tit (about 80%) and Eurasian Jay (about 80%). Among mammals, the most-seen is Eurasian Red Squirrel (about 60%); among reptiles, Pond Slider (about 40%); among amphibians, Marsh Frog (about 40%).
When is the best time to see wildlife in Sofia?
September to April
In those months the city's 12 most-seen species average about 70% on a given day, against about 60% in May to August.
Can you see a Blue Tit in Sofia?
Yes
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Tit sighting in Sofia on a given day, based on 2,287 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is December to February (about 90%).
Can you see a Eurasian Magpie in Sofia?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Eurasian Magpie sighting in Sofia on a given day, based on 3,009 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is October and December (over 90%).
Can you see a Great Tit in Sofia?
Yes
About 90% of wildlife watchers report a Great Tit sighting in Sofia on a given day, based on 3,235 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. The best time is December to March (over 90%).
Where in Sofia is wildlife easiest to see?
South Park
The spot where most wildlife watchers record their sightings is South Park (101 bird species recorded), followed by Sofia Tech Park and Borisova Gradina Park. See them on the map.
Is Sofia good for wildlife watching?
3.7 out of 5
On the Wallace's Line Score, which rates each city against other cities, Sofia gets 3.7/5: 289th of 380 cities worldwide and 26th in Europe. 22 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