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Wildlife

What lives in North Cascades

Last verified NPS species database
Every animal below comes from the National Park Service’s own species list for North Cascades: 67 mammals, 225 birds, 8 reptiles, 14 amphibians and 30 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 horribilis · Occasional

Present

Black bear

Ursus americanus · Common

Present

Gray wolf

Canis lupus · Occasional

Present

Coyote

Canis latrans · Rare

Present

Mountain lion

Puma concolor · Uncommon

Present

Bobcat

Lynx rufus · Rare

Present

Canada lynx

Lynx canadensis

Probably present

Wolverine

Gulo gulo · Rare

Present

Moose

Alces alces · Rare

Present

Elk

Cervus elaphus · Rare

Present

Bighorn sheep

Ovis canadensis

Present

Mountain goat

Oreamnos americanus · Uncommon

Present

Rattlesnakes

Crotalus viridis · Uncommon · any rattlesnake species

Present

Bald eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus · Common

Present

Golden eagle

Aquila chrysaetos · Uncommon

Present

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
70
81 listed
Birds
225
231 listed · 5 non-native
Reptiles
8
10 listed
Amphibians
14
14 listed · 1 non-native
Fish
32
34 listed · 5 non-native

Endangered Species Act

7 threatened or endangered species

Federal listing status as recorded in the NPS species database.
SpeciesScientific nameStatus in parkAbundanceNotes
Gray wolfCanis lupusPresentOccasionalEndangered
Canada lynxLynx canadensisProbably Present—Threatened
Grizzly bearUrsus arctos horribilisPresentOccasionalThreatened
Marbled murreletBrachyramphus marmoratusPresentRareThreatened
Northern spotted owlStrix occidentalis caurinaPresentRareThreatened
Oregon spotted frogRana pretiosaPresent—Threatened
Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykissPresentCommonThreatened

Mammals

All 70 mammals recorded in North Cascades

Most abundant first, as the NPS rates them.
SpeciesScientific nameStatus in parkAbundanceNotes
DeermousePeromyscus maniculatusPresentAbundant—
American black bearUrsus americanusPresentCommon—
American pikaOchotona princepsPresentCommon—
Big brown batEptesicus fuscusPresentCommon—
Black-tailed deerOdocoileus hemionusPresentCommon—
Douglas squirrelTamiasciurus douglasiiPresentCommon—
Dusky shrewSorex monticolusPresentCommon—
Golden mantled ground squirrelCallospermophilus lateralisPresentCommon—
Hoary marmotMarmota caligataPresentCommon—
Keen's mousePeromyscus keeniPresentCommon—
Little brown myotisMyotis lucifugusPresentCommon—
Pine martenMartes americanaPresentCommon—
Show the other 58 mammals ↓
SpeciesScientific nameStatus in parkAbundanceNotes
Shrew-moleNeurotrichus gibbsiiPresentCommon—
Silver-haired batLasionycteris noctivagansPresentCommon—
Townsend's chipmunkTamias townsendiiPresentCommon—
Trowbridge's shrewSorex trowbridgiiPresentCommon—
Vagrant shrewSorex vagransPresentCommon—
Western spotted skunkSpilogale gracilisPresentCommon—
Yuma myotisMyotis yumanensisPresentCommon—
Bushy-tailed woodratNeotoma cinereaPresentUncommon—
California myotisMyotis californicusPresentUncommon—
Cascade golden-mantled ground squirrelSpermophilus saturatusPresentUncommon—
Coast moleScapanus orariusPresentUncommon—
CougarPuma concolorPresentUncommon—
Creeping voleMicrotus oregoniPresentUncommon—
Mountain goatOreamnos americanusPresentUncommon—
North American beaverCastor canadensisPresentUncommon—
North American river otterLontra canadensisPresentUncommon—
Pacific water shrewSorex bendiriiPresentUncommon—
PorcupineErethizon dorsatumPresentUncommon—
Red squirrelTamiasciurus hudsonicusPresentUncommon—
Snowshoe hareLepus americanusPresentUncommon—
Southern red-backed voleClethrionomys gapperiPresentUncommon—
Striped skunkMephitis mephitisPresentUncommon—
Western gray squirrelSciurus griseusPresentUncommon—
Western long-eared batMyotis evotisPresentUncommon—
Yellow-pine chipmunkTamias amoenusPresentUncommon—
Gray wolfCanis lupusPresentOccasionalEndangered
Grizzly bearUrsus arctos horribilisPresentOccasionalThreatened
BobcatLynx rufusPresentRare—
Columbian ground squirrelUrocitellus columbianusPresentRare—
CoyoteCanis latransPresentRare—
ElkCervus elaphusPresentRare—
Hoary batLasiurus cinereusPresentRare—
Long-legged myotisMyotis volansPresentRare—
Long-tailed voleMicrotus longicaudusPresentRare—
MooseAlces alcesPresentRare—
Mountain beaverAplodontia rufaPresentRare—
Northern flying squirrelGlaucomys sabrinusPresentRare—
WolverineGulo guloPresentRare—
American minkMustela visonPresentUnknown—
Bighorn sheepOvis canadensisPresentUnknown—
Canada lynxLynx canadensisProbably Present—Threatened
ErmineMustela ermineaPresentUnknown—
FisherPekania pennantiPresentUnknown—
Least chipmunkTamias minimusPresentUnknown—
Long-tailed weaselMustela frenataPresentUnknown—
Masked shrewSorex cinereusPresentUnknown—
MuskratOndatra zibethicusPresentUnknown—
North American water voleMicrotus richardsoniPresentUnknown—
Northern bog-lemmingSynaptomys borealisPresentUnknown—
Northern pocket gopherThomomys talpoidesPresentUnknown—
Pacific jumping mouseZapus trinotatusPresentUnknown—
RaccoonProcyon lotorPresentUnknown—
Red foxVulpes vulpesPresentUnknown—
Townsend's big-eared batCorynorhinus townsendii townsendiiProbably Present——
Water shrewSorex palustrisPresentUnknown—
Western heather volePhenacomys intermediusPresentUnknown—
Western jumping mouseZapus princepsPresent——
Western small-footed batMyotis ciliolabrumProbably Present——

Birds

225 birds — show the list ↓

SpeciesScientific nameStatus in parkNotes
Cooper's hawkAccipiter cooperiiPresent—
Northern goshawkAccipiter gentilisPresent—
Sharp-shinned hawkAccipiter striatusPresent—
Spotted sandpiperActitis maculariusPresent—
Clark's grebeAechmophorus clarkiiPresent—
Western grebeAechmophorus occidentalisPresent—
Northern saw-whet owlAegolius acadicusPresent—
Boreal owlAegolius funereusPresent—
Red-winged blackbirdAgelaius phoeniceusPresent—
Wood duckAix sponsaPresent—
Northern pintailAnas acutaPresent—
American widgeonAnas americanaPresent—
Northern shovelerAnas clypeataPresent—
Eurasian tealAnas creccaPresent—
Cinnamon tealAnas cyanopteraPresent—
Blue-winged tealAnas discorsPresent—
MallardAnas platyrhynchosPresent—
GadwallAnas streperaPresent—
Greater white-fronted gooseAnser albifronsPresent—
American pipitAnthus rubescensPresent—
Golden eagleAquila chrysaetosPresent—
Great blue heronArdea herodiasPresent—
Short-eared owlAsio flammeusPresent—
Lesser scaupAythya affinisPresent—
RedheadAythya americanaPresent—
Ring-necked duckAythya collarisPresent—
Greater scaupAythya marilaPresent—
CanvasbackAythya valisineriaPresent—
Cedar waxwingBombycilla cedrorumPresent—
Bohemian waxwingBombycilla garrulusPresent—
Ruffed grouseBonasa umbellusPresent—
American bitternBotaurus lentiginosusPresent—
Marbled murreletBrachyramphus marmoratusPresentThreatened
Canada gooseBranta canadensisPresent—
Cackling gooseBranta hutchinsiiPresent—
Great horned owlBubo virginianusPresent—
BuffleheadBucephala albeolaPresent—
Common goldeneyeBucephala clangulaPresent—
Barrow's goldeneyeBucephala islandicaPresent—
Red-tailed hawkButeo jamaicensisPresent—
Rough-legged hawkButeo lagopusPresent—
Ferruginous hawkButeo regalisPresent—
Swainson's hawkButeo swainsoniPresent—
Green heronButorides virescensPresent—
Lapland longspurCalcarius lapponicusPresent—
Pectoral sandpiperCalidris melanotosPresent—
California quailCallipepla californicaPresentNon-native
Anna's hummingbirdCalypte annaPresent—
Common redpollCarduelis flammeaPresent—
Pine siskinCarduelis pinusPresent—
American goldfinchCarduelis tristisPresent—
Cassin's finchCarpodacus cassiniiPresent—
House finchCarpodacus mexicanusPresent—
Purple finchCarpodacus purpureusPresent—
Turkey vultureCathartes auraPresent—
VeeryCatharus fuscescensPresent—
Hermit thrushCatharus guttatusPresent—
Swainson's thrushCatharus ustulatusPresent—
Canyon wrenCatherpes mexicanusPresent—
Brown creeperCerthia americanaPresent—
Belted kingfisherCeryle alcyonPresent—
Vaux's swiftChaetura vauxiPresent—
KilldeerCharadrius vociferusPresent—
Common nighthawkChordeiles minorPresent—
American dipperCinclus mexicanusPresent—
Northern harrierCircus cyaneusPresent—
Marsh wrenCistothorus palustrisPresent—
Long-tailed duckClangula hyemalisPresent—
Evening grosbeakCoccothraustes vespertinusPresent—
Northern flickerColaptes auratus caferPresent—
Rock pigeonColumba liviaPresentNon-native
Olive-sided flycatcherContopus cooperiPresent—
Western wood-peweeContopus sordidulusPresent—
American crowCorvus brachyrhynchosPresent—
Common ravenCorvus coraxPresent—
Steller's jayCyanocitta stelleriPresent—
Trumpeter swanCygnus buccinatorPresent—
Tundra swanCygnus columbianusPresent—
Black swiftCypseloides nigerPresent—
Sooty grouseDendragapus fuliginosusPresent—
Audubon's warblerDendroica coronata auduboniPresent—
Black-throated gray warblerDendroica nigrescensPresent—
Hermit warblerDendroica occidentalisPresent—
Townsend's warblerDendroica townsendiPresent—
BobolinkDolichonyx oryzivorusPresent—
Pileated woodpeckerDryocopus pileatus abieticolaPresent—
Gray catbirdDumetella carolinensisPresent—
Western flycatcherEmpidonax difficilisPresent—
Hammond's flycatcherEmpidonax hammondiiPresent—
Least flycatcherEmpidonax minimusPresent—
Dusky flycatcherEmpidonax oberholseriPresent—
Willow flycatcherEmpidonax trailliiPresent—
Horned larkEremophila alpestrisPresent—
Brewer's blackbirdEuphagus cyanocephalusPresent—
Spruce grouseFalcipennis canadensisPresent—
MerlinFalco columbariusPresent—
Prairie falconFalco mexicanusPresent—
Peregrine falconFalco peregrinusPresent—
American kestrelFalco sparveriusPresent—
BramblingFringilla montifringillaPresent—
American cootFulica americanaPresent—
Wilson's snipeGallinago delicataPresent—
Common loonGavia immerPresent—
Pacific LoonGavia pacificaPresent—
Common yellowthroatGeothlypis trichasPresent—
Pygmy owlGlaucidium gnomaPresent—
Sandhill craneGrus canadensisPresent—
Bald eagleHaliaeetus leucocephalusPresent—
Barn swallowHirundo rusticaPresent—
Harlequin duckHistrionicus histrionicusPresent—
Bullock's orioleIcterus bullockiiPresent—
Varied thrushIxoreus naeviusPresent—
Dark-eyed juncoJunco hyemalisPresent—
White-tailed ptarmiganLagopus leucuraPresent—
Northern shrikeLanius excubitorPresent—
Short-billed gullLarus brachyrhynchusPresent—
California gullLarus californicusPresent—
Ring-billed gullLarus delawarensisPresent—
Glaucous-winged gullLarus glaucescensPresent—
Bonaparte's gullLarus philadelphiaPresent—
Gray-crowned rosy finchLeucosticte tephrocotisPresent—
Hooded merganserLophodytes cucullatusPresent—
Red crossbillLoxia curvirostraPresent—
White-winged crossbillLoxia leucopteraPresent—
Western screech owlMegascops kennicottiiPresent—
Lewis' woodpeckerMelanerpes lewisPresent—
White-winged scoterMelanitta fuscaPresent—
Lincoln's sparrowMelospiza lincolniiPresent—
Song sparrowMelospiza melodiaPresent—
Common merganserMergus merganserPresent—
Red-breasted merganserMergus serratorPresent—
Northern mockingbirdMimus polyglottosPresent—
Brown-headed cowbirdMolothrus aterPresent—
Townsend's solitaireMyadestes townsendiPresent—
Clark's nutcrackerNucifraga columbianaPresent—
MacGillivray's warblerOporornis tolmieiPresent—
Ruddy duckOxyura jamaicensisPresent—
OspreyPandion haliaetusPresent—
European house sparrowPasser domesticusPresentNon-native
Savannah sparrowPasserculus sandwichensisPresent—
Fox sparrowPasserella iliacaPresent—
Lazuli buntingPasserina amoenaPresent—
Indigo buntingPasserina cyaneaPresent—
Band-tailed pigeonPatagioenas fasciataPresent—
White pelicanPelecanus erythrorhynchosPresent—
Gray jayPerisoreus canadensisPresent—
Cliff swallowPetrochelidon pyrrhonotaPresent—
Red-necked phalaropePhalaropus lobatusPresent—
Wilson's PhalaropePhalaropus tricolorPresent—
Rose-breasted grosbeakPheucticus ludovicianusPresent—
Black-headed grosbeakPheucticus melanocephalusPresent—
Black-billed magpiePica hudsoniaPresent—
White-headed woodpeckerPicoides albolarvatusPresent—
Black-backed woodpeckerPicoides arcticusPresent—
Western American three-toed woodpeckerPicoides dorsalis fasciatusPresent—
Downy woodpeckerPicoides pubescensPresent—
Hairy woodpeckerPicoides villosusPresent—
Pine grosbeakPinicola enucleatorPresent—
Spotted towheePipilo maculatusPresent—
Western tanagerPiranga ludovicianaPresent—
Horned grebePodiceps auritusPresent—
Red-necked grebePodiceps grisegenaPresent—
Eared grebePodiceps nigricollisPresent—
Pied-billed grebePodilymbus podicepsPresent—
Black-capped chickadeePoecile atricapillusPresent—
Mountain chickadeePoecile gambeliPresent—
Boreal chickadeePoecile hudsonicusPresent—
Chestnut-backed chickadeePoecile rufescensPresent—
Vesper sparrowPooecetes gramineusPresent—
SoraPorzana carolinaPresent—
BushtitPsaltriparus minimusPresent—
Great-tailed grackleQuiscalus mexicanusPresent—
Virginia railRallus limicolaPresent—
Ruby-crowned kingletRegulus calendulaPresent—
Golden-crowned kingletRegulus satrapaPresent—
Bank swallowRiparia ripariaPresent—
Rock wrenSalpinctes obsoletusPresent—
Say's phoebeSayornis sayaPresent—
OvenbirdSeiurus aurocapillusPresent—
Northern waterthrushSeiurus noveboracensisPresent—
Rufous hummingbirdSelasphorus rufusPresent—
Northern yellow warblerSetophaga aestivaPresent—
American redstartSetophaga ruticillaPresent—
Mountain bluebirdSialia currucoidesPresent—
Western bluebirdSialia mexicanaPresent—
Red-breasted nuthatchSitta canadensisPresent—
White-breasted nuthatchSitta carolinensisPresent—
Red-naped sapsuckerSphyrapicus nuchalisPresent—
Red-breasted sapsuckerSphyrapicus ruberPresent—
Williamson's sapsuckerSphyrapicus thyroideusPresent—
American tree sparrowSpizella arboreaPresent—
Clay-colored sparrowSpizella pallidaPresent—
Chipping sparrowSpizella passerinaPresent—
Northern rough-winged swallowStelgidopteryx serripennisPresent—
Calliope hummingbirdStellula calliopePresent—
Pomarine jaegerStercorarius pomarinusPresent—
Caspian ternSterna caspiaPresent—
Common ternSterna hirundoPresent—
Eurasian collared doveStreptopelia decaoctoPresentNon-native
Northern spotted owlStrix occidentalis caurinaPresentThreatened
Barred owlStrix variaPresent—
Western meadowlarkSturnella neglectaPresent—
European starlingSturnus vulgarisPresentNon-native
Tree swallowTachycineta bicolorPresent—
Violet-green swallowTachycineta thalassinaPresent—
Bewick's wrenThryomanes bewickiiPresent—
Lesser yellowlegsTringa flavipesPresent—
Greater yellowlegsTringa melanoleucaPresent—
Solitary sandpiperTringa solitariaPresent—
House wrenTroglodytes aedonPresent—
Pacific wrenTroglodytes pacificusPresent—
American robinTurdus migratoriusPresent—
Eastern kingbirdTyrannus tyrannusPresent—
Western kingbirdTyrannus verticalisPresent—
Orange-crowned warblerVermivora celataPresent—
Nashville warblerVermivora ruficapillaPresent—
Cassin's vireoVireo cassiniiPresent—
Warbling vireoVireo gilvusPresent—
Hutton's VireoVireo huttoniPresent—
Red-eyed vireoVireo olivaceusPresent—
Wilson's warblerWilsonia pusillaPresent—
Yellow-headed blackbirdXanthocephalus xanthocephalusPresent—
Mourning doveZenaida macrouraPresent—
Golden-crowned sparrowZonotrichia atricapillaPresent—
White-crowned sparrowZonotrichia leucophrysPresent—

Reptiles

8 reptiles — show the list ↓

SpeciesScientific nameStatus in parkAbundanceNotes
Rubber boaCharina bottaePresentUncommon—
Western yellowbelly racerColuber constrictorPresentOccasional—
Western rattlesnakeCrotalus viridisPresentUncommon—
Northern alligator lizardElgaria coeruleaPresentRare—
Western skinkPlestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianusPresentUnknown—
Western fence lizardSceloporus occidentalisPresentUnknown—
Western terrestrial garter snakeThamnophis elegansPresentUncommon—
Common garter snakeThamnophis sirtalisPresentCommon—

Amphibians

14 amphibians — show the list ↓

SpeciesScientific nameStatus in parkAbundanceNotes
Northwestern salamanderAmbystoma gracilePresentUncommon—
Long-toed salamanderAmbystoma macrodactylumPresentCommon—
Western toadAnaxyrus boreasPresentCommon—
Coastal tailed frogAscaphus trueiPresentUncommon—
Pacific giant salamanderDicamptodon tenebrosusPresentRare—
EnsatinaEnsatina eschscholtziiPresentUncommon—
American BullfrogLithobates catesbeianusPresent—Non-native
Western red-backed salamanderPlethodon vehiculumPresentRare—
Pacific chorus frogPseudacris regillaPresentUncommon—
Northern red-legged frogRana auroraPresentCommon—
Cascades frogRana cascadaePresentUncommon—
Columbia spotted frogRana luteiventrisPresentUncommon—
Oregon spotted frogRana pretiosaPresent—Threatened
Rough-skinned newtTaricha granulosaPresentUncommon—

Fish

32 fish — show the list ↓

SpeciesScientific nameStatus in parkAbundanceNotes
Longnose SuckerCatostomus catostomusPresentUncommon—
Largescale SuckerCatostomus macrocheilusPresentUncommon—
Coastrange sculpinCottus aleuticusPresentUncommon—
Prickly sculpinCottus asperPresentUncommon—
Slimy sculpinCottus cognatusPresentUncommon—
Shorthead sculpinCottus confususProbably Present——
Torrent sculpinCottus rhotheusProbably Present——
Threespine sticklebackGasterosteus aculeatusPresentUnknown—
Western brook lampreyLampetra richardsoniPresentCommon—
LingcodLota lotaPresentUncommon—
Largemouth BassMicropterus salmoidesPresentUnknownNon-native
PeamouthMylocheilus caurinusPresentCommon—
Golden troutOncorhynchus aguabonitaPresentUncommonNon-native
Yellowstone cutthroat troutOncorhynchus clarki bouvieriPresentUnknownNon-native
Cutthroat troutOncorhynchus clarkiiPresentCommon—
Coastal cutthroat troutOncorhynchus clarkii clarkiiPresentCommon—
Westslope cutthroat troutOncorhynchus clarkii lewisiPresentCommon—
HumpyOncorhynchus gorbuschaPresentCommon—
ChumOncorhynchus ketaPresentAbundant—
Coho salmonOncorhynchus kisutchPresentCommon—
Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykissPresentCommonThreatened
Sockeye salmonOncorhynchus nerkaPresentAbundant—
Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytschaPresentRare—
Pygmy whitefishProsopium coulteriiPresentRare—
Mountain whitefishProsopium williamsoniPresentCommon—
Northern pikeminnowPtychocheilus oregonensisPresentCommon—
Longnose DaceRhinichthys cataractaePresentUncommon—
Redside ShinerRichardsonius balteatusPresentUncommon—
Bull troutSalvelinus confluentusPresentRare—
Brook troutSalvelinus fontinalisPresentUncommonNon-native
Dolly VardenSalvelinus malmaPresentCommon—
Lake troutSalvelinus namaycushPresentUncommonNon-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 North Cascades.

FAQ

North Cascades wildlife questions

Are there bears in North Cascades?
Yes. The NPS species list for North Cascades records black bear as present, listed as common.
Are there grizzly bears in North Cascades?
Yes. The NPS species list for North Cascades records grizzly / brown bear as present, listed as occasional.
Are there wolves in North Cascades?
Yes. The NPS species list for North Cascades records gray wolf as present, listed as occasional.
Are there mountain lions in North Cascades?
Yes. The NPS species list for North Cascades records mountain lion as present, listed as uncommon.
Are there rattlesnakes in North Cascades?
Yes. The NPS species list for North Cascades records rattlesnakes as present, listed as uncommon.
How many animal species live in North Cascades?
The NPS species database lists 67 mammal, 225 bird, 8 reptile, 14 amphibian and 30 fish species as present or probably present in North Cascades, including 7 federally threatened or endangered species. Plants and invertebrates are not counted here.

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