Wildlife
What lives in Denali
Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for Denali: 37 mammals, 154 birds, 0 reptiles, 1 amphibians and 19 fish recorded as present. Status words (present, unconfirmed, not in park) are the NPS’s, not ours.
Animals people ask about
Grizzly / brown bear
Ursus arctos
Black bear
Ursus americanus
Gray wolf
Canis lupus · Common
Coyote
Canis latrans · Occasional
Canada lynx
Lynx canadensis
Wolverine
Gulo gulo
Moose
Alces alces · Common
Caribou
Rangifer tarandus
Bald eagle
Haliaeetus leucocephalus · Rare
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos · Common
Bison
Bison bison · Historical
Mountain goat
Oreamnos americanus · Adjacent
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
- 38
- 43 listed
- Birds
- 160
- 180 listed
- Reptiles
- 0
- 0 listed
- Amphibians
- 1
- 1 listed
- Fish
- 19
- 19 listed
Mammals
All 38 mammals recorded in Denali
Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Marten | Martes americana | Common | ||
| Gray wolf | Canis lupus | Common | ||
| Moose | Alces alces | Common | ||
| Coyote | Canis latrans | Occasional | ||
| American beaver | Castor canadensis | |||
| American black bear | Ursus americanus | |||
| American mink | Neogale vison | |||
| Arctic ground squirrel | Spermophilus parryii | |||
| Brown bear | Ursus arctos | |||
| Brown lemming | Lemmus trimucronatus | |||
| Caribou | Rangifer tarandus | |||
| Cinereus shrew | Sorex cinereus |
Show the other 26 mammals ↓The other 26
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collared pika | Ochotona collaris | |||
| Dall's sheep | Ovis dalli | |||
| Dusky shrew | Sorex monticolus | |||
| Ermine | Mustela erminea | |||
| Hoary marmot | Marmota caligata | |||
| Least weasel | Mustela nivalis | |||
| Lynx | Lynx canadensis | |||
| Meadow jumping mouse | Zapus hudsonius | |||
| Meadow vole | Microtus pennsylvanicus | |||
| Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | |||
| Northern bog lemming | Synaptomys borealis | |||
| Northern flying squirrel | Glaucomys sabrinus | |||
| Northern red-backed vole | Clethrionomys rutilus | |||
| Porcupine | Erethizon dorsatum | |||
| Pygmy shrew | Sorex hoyi | |||
| Red fox | Vulpes vulpes | |||
| Red squirrel | Tamiasciurus hudsonicus | |||
| River otter | Lontra canadensis | Probably Present | ||
| Singing vole | Microtus miurus | |||
| Snowshoe hare | Lepus americanus | |||
| Taiga vole | Microtus xanthognathus | |||
| Tiny shrew | Sorex yukonicus | |||
| Tundra shrew | Sorex tundrensis | |||
| Tundra vole | Microtus oeconomus | |||
| Water shrew | Sorex palustris | |||
| Wolverine | Gulo gulo |
Birds
160 birds — show the list ↓
Birds
160 birds — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern goshawk | Accipiter gentilis | ||
| Sharp-shinned hawk | Accipiter striatus | ||
| Spotted sandpiper | Actitis macularia | ||
| Boreal owl | Aegolius funereus | ||
| Red-winged blackbird | Agelaius phoeniceus | ||
| Northern pintail | Anas acuta | ||
| American wigeon | Anas americana | ||
| Northern shoveler | Anas clypeata | ||
| Green-winged teal | Anas crecca | ||
| Blue-winged teal | Anas discors | ||
| Eurasian wigeon | Anas penelope | ||
| Mallard | Anas platyrhynchos | ||
| Gadwall | Anas strepera | ||
| Greater white-fronted goose | Anser albifrons | ||
| American pipit | Anthus spinoletta | ||
| Surfbird | Aphriza virgata | ||
| Golden eagle | Aquila chrysaetos | ||
| Ruddy turnstone | Arenaria interpres | ||
| Black turnstone | Arenaria melanocephala | ||
| Short-eared owl | Asio flammeus | ||
| Lesser scaup | Aythya affinis | ||
| Redhead | Aythya americana | ||
| Ring-necked duck | Aythya collaris | ||
| Greater scaup | Aythya marila | ||
| Canvasback | Aythya valisineria | ||
| Upland sandpiper | Bartramia longicauda | ||
| Bohemian waxwing | Bombycilla garrulus | ||
| Ruffed grouse | Bonasa umbellus | ||
| Long-billed murrelet | Brachyramphus marmoratus | Probably Present | |
| Brant | Branta bernicla | ||
| Canada goose | Branta canadensis | ||
| Snowy Owl | Bubo scandiaca | ||
| Great horned owl | Bubo virginianus | ||
| Bufflehead | Bucephala albeola | ||
| Common goldeneye | Bucephala clangula | ||
| Barrow's goldeneye | Bucephala islandica | ||
| Red-tailed hawk | Buteo jamaicensis | ||
| Rough-legged hawk | Buteo lagopus | ||
| Swainson's hawk | Buteo swainsoni | ||
| Lapland longspur | Calcarius lapponicus | ||
| Sanderling | Calidris alba | ||
| Dunlin | Calidris alpina | ||
| Baird's sandpiper | Calidris bairdii | ||
| Western sandpiper | Calidris mauri | ||
| Pectoral sandpiper | Calidris melanotos | ||
| Least sandpiper | Calidris minutilla | ||
| Semipalmated sandpiper | Calidris pusilla | ||
| Common redpoll | Carduelis flammea | ||
| Hoary redpoll | Carduelis hornemanni | ||
| Pine siskin | Carduelis pinus | ||
| Hermit thrush | Catharus guttatus | ||
| Gray-cheeked thrush | Catharus minimus | ||
| Swainson's thrush | Catharus ustulatus | ||
| Brown creeper | Certhia americana | ||
| Belted kingfisher | Ceryle alcyon | ||
| Semipalmated plover | Charadrius semipalmatus | ||
| Killdeer | Charadrius vociferus | Probably Present | |
| Snow goose | Chen caerulescens | ||
| American dipper | Cinclus mexicanus | ||
| Northern harrier | Circus cyaneus | ||
| Long-tailed Duck | Clangula hyemalis | ||
| Northern flicker | Colaptes auratus | ||
| Olive-sided Flycatcher | Contopus cooperi | ||
| Western wood-pewee | Contopus sordidulus | ||
| Common raven | Corvus corax | ||
| Steller's jay | Cyanocitta stelleri | Probably Present | |
| Trumpeter swan | Cygnus buccinator | ||
| Tundra swan | Cygnus columbianus | ||
| Yellow-rumped warbler | Dendroica coronata | ||
| Yellow warbler | Dendroica petechia | ||
| Blackpoll warbler | Dendroica striata | ||
| Townsend's warbler | Dendroica townsendi | Probably Present | |
| Alder flycatcher | Empidonax alnorum | ||
| Hammond's Flycatcher | Empidonax hammondii | ||
| Horned lark | Eremophila alpestris | ||
| Rusty blackbird | Euphagus carolinus | ||
| Merlin | Falco columbarius | ||
| Peregrin falcon | Falco peregrinus | ||
| Gyrfalcon | Falco rusticolus | ||
| American kestrel | Falco sparverius | ||
| Wilson's Snipe | Gallinago delicata | ||
| Yellow-billed loon | Gavia adamsii | ||
| Common loon | Gavia immer | ||
| Pacific loon | Gavia pacifica | ||
| Red-throated loon | Gavia stellata | ||
| Sandhill crane | Grus canadensis | ||
| Bald eagle | Haliaeetus leucocephalus | ||
| Harlequin duck | Histrionicus histrionicus | ||
| Varied thrush | Ixoreus naevius | ||
| Dark-eyed junco | Junco hyemalis | ||
| Willow ptarmigan | Lagopus lagopus | ||
| White-tailed Ptarmigan | Lagopus leucura | ||
| Rock Ptarmigan | Lagopus muta | ||
| Northern shrike | Lanius excubitor | ||
| Herring gull | Larus argentatus | ||
| Mew gull | Larus canus | ||
| Glaucous-winged gull | Larus glaucescens | ||
| Bonaparte's gull | Larus philadelphia | ||
| Rosy Finch | Leucosticte arctous | ||
| Gray-crowned rosy finch | Leucosticte tephrocotis | ||
| Long-billed dowitcher | Limnodromus scolopaceus | ||
| Hudsonian godwit | Limosa haemastica | ||
| White-winged crossbill | Loxia leucoptera | ||
| White-winged scoter | Melanitta fusca | ||
| Black scoter | Melanitta nigra | ||
| Surf scoter | Melanitta perspicillata | ||
| Common merganser | Mergus merganser | ||
| Red-breasted merganser | Mergus serrator | ||
| Brown-headed cowbird | Molothrus ater | ||
| Townsend's solitaire | Myadestes townsendi | ||
| Whimbrel | Numenius phaeopus | ||
| Northern wheatear | Oenanthe oenanthe | ||
| Tennessee Warbler | Oreothlypis peregrina | ||
| Osprey | Pandion haliaetus | ||
| Savannah sparrow | Passerculus sandwichensis | ||
| Fox sparrow | Passerella iliaca | ||
| Gray jay | Perisoreus canadensis | ||
| Cliff Swallow | Petrochelidon pyrrhonota | ||
| Red phalarope | Phalaropus fulicarius | ||
| Red-necked phalarope | Phalaropus lobatus | ||
| Arctic Warbler | Phyllocopus borealis | ||
| Arctic warbler | Phylloscopus borealis | ||
| Black-billed Magpie | Pica hudsonia | ||
| Black-backed woodpecker | Picoides arcticus | ||
| American Three-toed Woodpecker | Picoides dorsalis | ||
| Downy woodpecker | Picoides pubescens | ||
| Hairy woodpecker | Picoides villosus | ||
| Pine grosbeak | Pinicola enucleator | ||
| Western tanager | Piranga ludoviciana | ||
| Snow bunting | Plectrophenax nivalis | ||
| American golden-plover | Pluvialis dominica | ||
| Black-bellied plover | Pluvialis squatarola | Probably Present | |
| Horned grebe | Podiceps auritus | ||
| Red-necked grebe | Podiceps grisegena | ||
| Ruby-crowned kinglet | Regulus calendula | ||
| Golden-crowned kinglet | Regulus satrapa | ||
| Bank swallow | Riparia riparia | ||
| Say's phoebe | Sayornis saya | ||
| Northern waterthrush | Seiurus noveboracensis | ||
| Rufous hummingbird | Selasphorus rufus | ||
| American redstart | Setophaga ruticilla | ||
| Red-breasted nuthatch | Sitta canadensis | Probably Present | |
| American tree sparrow | Spizella arborea | ||
| Long-tailed jaeger | Stercorarius longicaudus | ||
| Pomarine jaeger | Stercorarius pomarinus | ||
| Arctic tern | Sterna paradisaea | ||
| Great gray owl | Strix nebulosa | ||
| European starling | Sturnus vulgaris | ||
| Northern hawk owl | Surnia ulula | ||
| Tree swallow | Tachycineta bicolor | ||
| Violet-green swallow | Tachycineta thalassina | ||
| Lesser yellowlegs | Tringa flavipes | ||
| Wandering Tattler | Tringa incana | ||
| Greater yellowlegs | Tringa melanoleuca | ||
| Solitary sandpiper | Tringa solitaria | ||
| American robin | Turdus migratorius | ||
| Orange-crowned warbler | Vermivora celata | ||
| Wilson's warbler | Wilsonia pusilla | ||
| Golden-crowned sparrow | Zonotrichia atricapilla | ||
| White-crowned sparrow | Zonotrichia leucophrys |
Amphibians
1 amphibians — show the list ↓
Amphibians
1 amphibians — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood frog | Rana sylvatica |
Fish
19 fish — show the list ↓
Fish
19 fish — show the list ↓
| Species | Scientific name | Status in park | Abundance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Longnose sucker | Catostomus catostomus | |||
| Humpback whitefish | Coregonus pidschian | |||
| Least cisco | Coregonus sardinella | |||
| Slimy sculpin | Cottus cognatus | Common | ||
| Alaska blackfish | Dallia pectoralis | Common | ||
| Northern pike | Esox lucius | |||
| Arctic lamprey | Lethenteron camtschaticum | |||
| Burbot | Lota lota | |||
| Pink Salmon | Oncorhynchus gorbuscha | |||
| Chum salmon | Oncorhynchus keta | |||
| Coho salmon | Oncorhynchus kisutch | |||
| Sockeye salmon | Oncorhynchus nerka | |||
| Chinook salmon | Oncorhynchus tshawytscha | |||
| Round whitefish | Prosopium cylindraceum | |||
| Arctic char | Salvelinus alpinus | |||
| Dolly varden | Salvelinus malma | |||
| Lake trout | Salvelinus namaycush | |||
| Inconnu | Stenodus leucichthys | Occasional | ||
| Arctic grayling | Thymallus arcticus | Common |
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 Denali.
Sources · 2
- 1.NPSpecies — the National Park Service species database (IRMA), full and detail species lists — Denali (DENA) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.Denali National Park & Preserve — Nature & wildlife (nps.gov) · National Park Service
FAQ
Denali wildlife questions
- Are there bears in Denali?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Denali records black bear as present.
- Are there grizzly bears in Denali?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Denali records grizzly / brown bear as present.
- Are there wolves in Denali?
- Yes. The NPS species list for Denali records gray wolf as present, listed as common.
- Are there mountain lions in Denali?
- The NPS species list for Denali does not include mountain lion, so there is no record of them in the park.
- Are there rattlesnakes in Denali?
- The NPS species list for Denali does not include rattlesnakes, so there is no record of them in the park.
- How many animal species live in Denali?
- The NPS species database lists 37 mammal, 154 bird, 0 reptile, 1 amphibian and 19 fish species as present or probably present in Denali. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.
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