Wildlife
What lives in Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for Black Canyon of the Gunnison: 50 mammals, 143 birds, 9 reptiles, 1 amphibians and 12 fish recorded as present. Status words (present, unconfirmed, not in park) are the NPS’s, not ours.
Animals people ask about
Black bear
Ursus americanus
Coyote
Canis latrans · Uncommon
Mountain lion
Puma concolor
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
Elk
Cervus canadensis
Bighorn sheep
Ovis canadensis · Uncommon
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus · Uncommon
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos · Uncommon
Pronghorn
Antilocapra americana
By group
Species counts
Present or probably present per the NPS list. “Listed” includes species the NPS has evaluated but marks unconfirmed or not in park.
- Mammals
- 59
- 67 listed
- Birds
- 174
- 176 listed · 4 non-native
- Reptiles
- 11
- 11 listed
- Amphibians
- 1
- 2 listed
- Fish
- 12
- 16 listed · 7 non-native
Endangered Species Act
1 threatened or endangered species
Federal listing status as recorded in the NPS species database.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gunnison Sage-Grouse | Centrocercus minimus | Rare | Threatened |
Mammals
All 59 mammals recorded in Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer Mouse | Peromyscus maniculatus | Abundant | ||
| Big Brown Bat | Eptesicus fuscus | Uncommon | ||
| Bighorn Sheep | Ovis canadensis | Uncommon | ||
| Brush Mouse | Peromyscus boylii | Uncommon | ||
| Coyote | Canis latrans | Uncommon | ||
| Fringed Myotis | Myotis thysanodes | Uncommon | ||
| Hoary Bat | Aeorestes cinereus | Uncommon | ||
| Hopi Chipmunk | Neotamias rufus | Uncommon | ||
| Least Chipmunk | Neotamias minimus | Uncommon | ||
| Little Brown Myotis | Myotis lucifugus | Uncommon | ||
| Long-eared Myotis | Myotis evotis | Uncommon | ||
| Long-legged Myotis | Myotis volans | Uncommon |
Show the other 47 mammals ↓The other 47
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-tailed Vole | Microtus longicaudus | Uncommon | ||
| Mule Deer | Odocoileus hemionus | Uncommon | ||
| North American Porcupine | Erethizon dorsatum | Uncommon | ||
| Pallid Bat | Antrozous pallidus | Uncommon | ||
| Pinon Mouse | Peromyscus truei | Uncommon | ||
| Silver-haired Bat | Lasionycteris noctivagans | Uncommon | ||
| Spotted Bat | Euderma maculatum | Uncommon | ||
| Townsend's Big-eared Bat | Corynorhinus townsendii | Uncommon | ||
| Western Small-footed Myotis | Myotis ciliolabrum | Uncommon | ||
| White-tailed Jackrabbit | Lepus townsendii | Uncommon | ||
| Yuma Myotis | Myotis yumanensis | Uncommon | ||
| American Beaver | Castor canadensis | Occasional | ||
| Striped Skunk | Mephitis mephitis | Occasional | ||
| Common Gray Fox | Urocyon cinereoargenteus | Rare | ||
| American Badger | Taxidea taxus | |||
| American Black Bear | Ursus americanus | |||
| American Mink | Mustela vison | |||
| American Water Shrew | Sorex palustris | Probably Present | ||
| Big Free-tailed Bat | Nyctinomops macrotis | |||
| Bobcat | Lynx rufus | |||
| Brazilian Free-tailed Bat | Tadarida brasiliensis | Probably Present | ||
| Bushy-tailed Woodrat | Neotoma cinerea | |||
| California Myotis | Myotis californicus | Probably Present | ||
| Canyon Mouse | Peromyscus crinitus | |||
| Dwarf Shrew | Sorex nanus | Probably Present | ||
| Elk | Cervus canadensis | |||
| Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel | Spermophilus lateralis | |||
| Long-tailed Weasel | Mustela frenata | |||
| Masked Shrew | Sorex cinereus | |||
| Montane Shrew | Sorex monticolus | Probably Present | ||
| Montane vole | Microtus montanus | |||
| Mountain Cottontail | Sylvilagus nuttallii | |||
| Mountain Lion | Puma concolor | |||
| Northern Pocket Gopher | Thomomys talpoides | |||
| Northern Raccoon | Procyon lotor | |||
| Northern River Otter | Lontra canadensis | |||
| Preble's Shrew | Sorex preblei | |||
| Red Fox | Vulpes vulpes | |||
| Red Squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | |||
| Ringtail | Bassariscus astutus | |||
| Rock Squirrel | Otospermophilus variegatus | |||
| Snowshoe Hare | Lepus americanus | Probably Present | ||
| Western Harvest Mouse | Reithrodontomys megalotis | Probably Present | ||
| Western Jumping Mouse | Zapus princeps | Probably Present | ||
| Western Pipistrelle | Parastrellus hesperus | |||
| Western Spotted Skunk | Spilogale gracilis | Probably Present | ||
| Yellow-bellied Marmot | Marmota flaviventris |
Birds
174 birds — show the list ↓
Birds
174 birds — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper's Hawk | Accipiter cooperii | ||
| Northern Goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | ||
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Accipiter striatus | ||
| Spotted Sandpiper | Actitis macularius | ||
| Northern Saw-whet Owl | Aegolius acadicus | ||
| White-throated Swift | Aeronautes saxatalis | ||
| Red-winged Blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | ||
| Chukar | Alectoris chukar | Non-native | |
| Black-throated Sparrow | Amphispiza bilineata | ||
| Northern Pintail | Anas acuta | Probably Present | |
| Green-winged Teal | Anas crecca | Probably Present | |
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | ||
| American Pipit | Anthus rubescens | Probably Present | |
| Sandhill Crane | Antigone canadensis | ||
| Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay | Aphelocoma woodhouseii | ||
| Golden Eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | ||
| Black-chinned Hummingbird | Archilochus alexandri | ||
| Great Blue Heron | Ardea herodias | ||
| Long-eared Owl | Asio otus | ||
| Lesser Scaup | Aythya affinis | Probably Present | |
| Redhead | Aythya americana | Probably Present | |
| Juniper Titmouse | Baeolophus ridgwayi | ||
| Cedar Waxwing | Bombycilla cedrorum | Probably Present | |
| Bohemian Waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | Probably Present | |
| Canada Goose | Branta canadensis | ||
| Great Horned Owl | Bubo virginianus | ||
| Common Goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | ||
| Barrow's Goldeneye | Bucephala islandica | ||
| Red-tailed Hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | ||
| Rough-legged Hawk | Buteo lagopus | Probably Present | |
| Ferruginous Hawk | Buteo regalis | Probably Present | |
| Swainson's Hawk | Buteo swainsoni | ||
| Gambel's Quail | Callipepla gambelii | Probably Present | |
| Wilson's Warbler | Cardellina pusilla | ||
| Turkey Vulture | Cathartes aura | ||
| Hermit Thrush | Catharus guttatus | ||
| Swainson's Thrush | Catharus ustulatus | ||
| Canyon Wren | Catherpes mexicanus | ||
| Gunnison Sage-Grouse | Centrocercus minimus | Threatened | |
| Brown Creeper | Certhia americana | ||
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | ||
| Lark Sparrow | Chondestes grammacus | ||
| Common Nighthawk | Chordeiles minor | ||
| American Dipper | Cinclus mexicanus | ||
| Northern Harrier | Circus hudsonius | ||
| Evening Grosbeak | Coccothraustes vespertinus | ||
| Northern Flicker (Red-shafted) | Colaptes auratus | ||
| Rock Dove | Columba livia | ||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi | ||
| Western Wood-Pewee | Contopus sordidulus | ||
| Ruby-crowned Kinglet | Corthylio calendula | ||
| American Crow | Corvus brachyrhynchos | ||
| Common Raven | Corvus corax | ||
| Steller's Jay | Cyanocitta stelleri | ||
| Blue Grouse | Dendragapus obscurus | ||
| Downy Woodpecker | Dryobates pubescens | ||
| Hairy Woodpecker | Dryobates villosus | ||
| Gray Catbird | Dumetella carolinensis | ||
| Cordilleran Flycatcher | Empidonax difficilis occidentalis | ||
| Hammond's Flycatcher | Empidonax hammondii | ||
| Dusky Flycatcher | Empidonax oberholseri | ||
| Willow Flycatcher | Empidonax traillii | Probably Present | |
| Gray Flycatcher | Empidonax wrightii | ||
| Horned Lark | Eremophila alpestris | ||
| Brewer's Blackbird | Euphagus cyanocephalus | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | ||
| Prairie Falcon | Falco mexicanus | ||
| Peregrine Falcon | Falco peregrinus | ||
| American Kestrel | Falco sparverius | ||
| American Coot | Fulica americana | Probably Present | |
| Wilson's Snipe | Gallinago delicata | Probably Present | |
| MacGillivray's Warbler | Geothlypis tolmiei | ||
| Northern Pygmy-Owl | Glaucidium gnoma | ||
| Pinyon Jay | Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus | ||
| Cassin's Finch | Haemorhous cassinii | ||
| House Finch | Haemorhous mexicanus | ||
| Bald Eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | ||
| Barn Swallow | Hirundo rustica | ||
| Yellow-breasted Chat | Icteria virens | ||
| Bullock's Oriole | Icterus bullockii | ||
| Dark-eyed Junco (Gray-headed) | Junco hyemalis | ||
| Northern Shrike | Lanius borealis | Probably Present | |
| Loggerhead Shrike | Lanius ludovicianus | ||
| California Gull | Larus californicus | Probably Present | |
| Ring-billed Gull | Larus delawarensis | Probably Present | |
| Orange-crowned Warbler | Leiothlypis celata | ||
| Virginia's Warbler | Leiothlypis virginiae | ||
| Franklin's Gull | Leucophaeus pipixcan | Probably Present | |
| Black Rosy-Finch | Leucosticte atrata | ||
| Brown-capped Rosy-Finch | Leucosticte australis | Probably Present | |
| Gray-crowned Rosy-Finch | Leucosticte tephrocotis | ||
| Hooded Merganser | Lophodytes cucullatus | ||
| Red Crossbill | Loxia curvirostra | ||
| American wigeon | Mareca americana | ||
| Gadwall | Mareca strepera | Probably Present | |
| Belted Kingfisher | Megaceryle alcyon | ||
| Lewis's Woodpecker | Melanerpes lewis | ||
| Wild Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo | ||
| Lincoln's Sparrow | Melospiza lincolnii | Probably Present | |
| Song Sparrow | Melospiza melodia | ||
| Common Merganser | Mergus merganser | ||
| Northern Mockingbird | Mimus polyglottos | ||
| Brown-headed Cowbird | Molothrus ater | ||
| Townsend's Solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | ||
| Ash-throated Flycatcher | Myiarchus cinerascens | ||
| Clark's Nutcracker | Nucifraga columbiana | ||
| Black-crowned Night-Heron | Nycticorax nycticorax | Probably Present | |
| Sage Thrasher | Oreoscoptes montanus | ||
| Ruddy Duck | Oxyura jamaicensis | Probably Present | |
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | ||
| House Sparrow | Passer domesticus | Non-native | |
| Lazuli Bunting | Passerina amoena | ||
| Blue Grosbeak | Passerina caerulea | ||
| Indigo Bunting | Passerina cyanea | ||
| Band-tailed Pigeon | Patagioenas fasciata | ||
| Gray Jay | Perisoreus canadensis | Probably Present | |
| Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | ||
| Common Poorwill | Phalaenoptilus nuttallii | ||
| Ring-necked Pheasant | Phasianus colchicus | Non-native | |
| Black-headed Grosbeak | Pheucticus melanocephalus | ||
| Black-billed Magpie | Pica hudsonia | ||
| American Three-toed Woodpecker | Picoides dorsalis | ||
| Pine Grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | Probably Present | |
| Green-tailed Towhee | Pipilo chlorurus | ||
| Spotted Towhee | Pipilo maculatus | ||
| Western Tanager | Piranga ludoviciana | ||
| Pied-billed Grebe | Podilymbus podiceps | Probably Present | |
| Black-capped Chickadee | Poecile atricapillus | ||
| Mountain Chickadee | Poecile gambeli | ||
| Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | Polioptila caerulea | ||
| Vesper Sparrow | Pooecetes gramineus | ||
| Bushtit | Psaltriparus minimus | ||
| Flammulated Owl | Psiloscops flammeolus | ||
| Golden-crowned Kinglet | Regulus satrapa | Probably Present | |
| Rock Wren | Salpinctes obsoletus | ||
| Say's Phoebe | Sayornis saya | ||
| Calliope Hummingbird | Selasphorus calliope | Probably Present | |
| Broad-tailed Hummingbird | Selasphorus platycercus | ||
| Rufous Hummingbird | Selasphorus rufus | ||
| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Audubon's) | Setophaga coronata | ||
| Black-throated Gray Warbler | Setophaga nigrescens | ||
| Yellow Warbler | Setophaga petechia | ||
| Townsend's Warbler | Setophaga townsendi | ||
| Mountain Bluebird | Sialia currucoides | ||
| Western Bluebird | Sialia mexicana | ||
| Red-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | ||
| White-breasted Nuthatch | Sitta carolinensis | ||
| Pygmy Nuthatch | Sitta pygmaea | ||
| Northern shoveler | Spatula clypeata | Probably Present | |
| Cinnamon Teal | Spatula cyanoptera | Probably Present | |
| Blue-winged Teal | Spatula discors | Probably Present | |
| Red-naped Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus nuchalis | ||
| Williamson's Sapsucker | Sphyrapicus thyroideus | ||
| Pine Siskin | Spinus pinus | ||
| Lesser Goldfinch | Spinus psaltria | ||
| American Goldfinch | Spinus tristis | ||
| Brewer's Sparrow | Spizella breweri | ||
| Chipping Sparrow | Spizella passerina | ||
| American Tree Sparrow | Spizelloides arborea | Probably Present | |
| Western Meadowlark | Sturnella neglecta | ||
| European Starling | Sturnus vulgaris | Non-native | |
| Tree Swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
| Violet-green Swallow | Tachycineta thalassina | ||
| Bewick's Wren | Thryomanes bewickii | ||
| Brown Thrasher | Toxostoma rufum | ||
| House Wren | Troglodytes aedon | ||
| American Robin | Turdus migratorius | ||
| Western Kingbird | Tyrannus verticalis | ||
| Barn Owl | Tyto alba | ||
| Warbling Vireo | Vireo gilvus | ||
| Plumbeous Vireo | Vireo plumbeus | ||
| Gray Vireo | Vireo vicinior | ||
| Mourning Dove | Zenaida macroura | ||
| White-crowned Sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys |
Reptiles
11 reptiles — show the list ↓
Reptiles
11 reptiles — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plateau striped whiptail | Cnemidophorus velox | Common | ||
| Eastern collared lizard | Crotaphytus collaris | Common | ||
| Milksnake | Lampropeltis triangulum | Probably Present | ||
| Striped whipsnake | Masticophis taeniatus | Probably Present | ||
| Smooth greensnake | Opheodrys vernalis | Uncommon | ||
| Greater short-horned lizard | Phrynosoma hernandesi | Rare | ||
| Gophersnake | Pituophis catenifer | Uncommon | ||
| Common sagebrush lizard | Sceloporus graciosus | Abundant | ||
| Plateau lizard | Sceloporus tristichus | Abundant | ||
| Terrestrial gartersnake | Thamnophis elegans | Common | ||
| Tree lizard | Urosaurus ornatus | Common |
Amphibians
1 amphibians — show the list ↓
Amphibians
1 amphibians — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tiger salamander | Ambystoma tigrinum | Uncommon |
Fish
12 fish — show the list ↓
Fish
12 fish — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Long-nose Sucker | Catostomus catostomus | Abundant | Non-native | |
| Longnose sucker X White sucker | Catostomus catostomus X commersonii | Rare | Non-native | |
| White Sucker | Catostomus commersonii | Common | Non-native | |
| Bluehead Sucker X White Sucker | Catostomus discobolus X commersonii | Rare | Non-native | |
| Flannelmouth Sucker | Catostomus latipinnis | Rare | ||
| Flannelmouth Sucker X White Sucker | Catostomus latipinnis X commersonii | Rare | Non-native | |
| Mottled Sculpin | Cottus bairdii | Common | ||
| Colorado Cutthroat Trout | Oncorhynchus clarkii pleuriticus | |||
| Rainbow Trout | Oncorhynchus mykiss | Abundant | Non-native | |
| Bluehead Sucker | Pantosteus discobolus | Uncommon | ||
| Speckled Dace | Rhinichthys osculus | Common | ||
| Brown Trout | Salmo trutta | Common | Non-native |
Where this comes from
NPSpecies is the National Park Service’s database of the species documented in each park. We show its vertebrate lists as published: a species is “present” when the park has confirmed it, “unconfirmed” when reports exist without verification, and “not in park” when the NPS has ruled it out (often tagged “historical” for animals that once lived there). Lists lag reality by months or years and seeing an animal is never guaranteed. Plants, insects and other invertebrates are not included here. Browse the full NPSpecies list for Black Canyon of the Gunnison.
Sources · 2
- 1.NPSpecies — the National Park Service species database (IRMA), full and detail species lists — Black Canyon of the Gunnison (BLCA) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park — Nature & wildlife (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Black Canyon of the Gunnison wildlife questions
- Are there bears in Black Canyon of the Gunnison?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Black Canyon of the Gunnison records black bear as present.
- Are there wolves in Black Canyon of the Gunnison?
- The NPS species list for Black Canyon of the Gunnison does not include gray wolf, so there is no record of them in the park.
- Are there mountain lions in Black Canyon of the Gunnison?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Black Canyon of the Gunnison records mountain lion as present.
- Are there rattlesnakes in Black Canyon of the Gunnison?
- The NPS species list for Black Canyon of the Gunnison does not include rattlesnakes, so there is no record of them in the park.
- How many animal species live in Black Canyon of the Gunnison?
- The NPS species database lists 50 mammal, 143 bird, 9 reptile, 1 amphibian and 12 fish species as present or probably present in Black Canyon of the Gunnison, including 1 federally threatened or endangered species. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.
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