Top 10 Favorite Wild Animals that Can Be Found in Urban/Suburban Neighborhoods

I'm an animal lover. Since I grew up in suburban and urban areas, I enjoy seeing what little wildlife I can. I'm pretty sure different areas have different wildlife, so please feel free to add what roams around in your town.

These are common wild animals in my area. We occasionally get cougars, deer, and bears in the neighborhoods out here, but they're not too common. Plus, they're not really from urban or suburban areas. They wander down from the mountains, so I left them out.

1. Owls

   

   Would love to see these beautiful birds. I have never seen an owl or a bat in real life. Only on television. Truth.

   I love owls. Some of them get huge. They're really loud too.

2. Squirrels

   

   Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, which includes small to medium-sized rodents. This family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are known for their bushy tails, agility, and food-hoarding behavior.

   They're American and in abundance. They seem to have chased off the native British red squirrel, which is so rarely seen now.

   I like these guys even though they can be considered pests. If you watch them, they're actually quite comical sometimes.

3. Raccoons

   

   The raccoon, sometimes spelled racoon and also known as the common raccoon, North American raccoon, or northern raccoon, is a medium-sized mammal native to North America. It is recognized for its distinctive facial mask and ringed tail.... read more

   They can be aggressive and can carry rabies. I still like seeing them though, especially when there is a family of them with little babies running around.

4. Praying Mantises

   

   The praying mantis is an insect known for its distinctive posture of holding its front legs in a position that resembles a prayer. It belongs to the Mantidae family and features an elongated body, a triangular head, and large compound eyes. These features make it an easily recognizable insect in many... read more

   My favorite insect. I like the way they turn their heads to look at you. Creepy cool.

5. Hawks

   

   Hawks are a group of medium-sized diurnal birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. They're widely distributed and vary greatly in size. Hawks have keen eyesight, strong talons, and curved beaks that help them capture and consume prey.

   A lot of them are over here. They get pretty big. Some of them will fly down, perch, and chill out near you.

   I've had one fly down and eat his dinner (mouse) about 15 feet from me.

6. Coyotes

   

   Coyotes are canines native to North and Central America. They are highly adaptable animals and can survive in a wide range of environments, including forests, grasslands, deserts, and even cities.

   They are similar in appearance to domestic dogs but tend to be smaller, with pointed muzzles, erect... read more

   People are scared of them around here. I'm not big or intimidating (5'8, 150 lbs) and every time I've encountered one, they freak out and run away (maybe I'm really ugly?).

   I've encountered a lot of coyotes in my life and never had one get aggressive.

7. Opossums

   

   Opossums are marsupials of the order Didelphimorphia and are native to the Americas. They are the only marsupials found north of Mexico, with the Virginia opossum being the most widespread species in the United States and Canada. Known for their ability to play dead as a defense mechanism, opossums also... read more

   These guys get a bad rap. They used to freak me out. They look crazy mean with all those sharp teeth. In the face, they look like Baraka from Mortal Kombat. I'm fine with them now. They're harmless.

   I feed two stray cats in my neighborhood. They come up with the cats and eat. At first, I was nervous about them fighting with the cats, but they're cool, so I let them eat too. They actually seem like they're buddies. I have three of them (one small, one medium, and one large) that come so often, I named them. The big one is Chompy, the medium one is Bitey, and the small one is Nibbler.

8. Amazon Parrots

   

9. Bats

   

   Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera. With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Their long, spread-out digits are covered by a thin membrane called the patagium, which gives them remarkable aerial maneuverability and allows many species... read more

10. Blue Jays

    

    The Blue Jay (Latin name Cyanocitta cristata) is a passerine bird in the Corvidae family. It is also known as a Jaybird, and its name comes from its noisy nature. Native to North America, the Blue Jay is found throughout most of the eastern and central United States, with some migrating to other countries... read more

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Brown Pelicans

    
12. ?

    Indigo Buntings

    
The Contenders

13. Lizards

    

    Mostly blue-bellies and alligator lizards here.

14. California Scrub-Jays

    

15. Frogs

    

    Frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order Anura. They are found worldwide except in Antarctica, with more than 7,000 species currently described. Frogs typically lay their eggs in water and undergo metamorphosis from aquatic larvae to adult... read more

    Here we have little ones in neighborhood creeks and ponds. But when I was living in Texas, there were these thick, stocky frogs all over the place.

    I wasn't used to it, so it was cool to see.

16. Common Ravens

    

17. Snakes

    

    Snakes are elongated, legless, carnivorous reptiles that belong to the suborder Serpentes. Unlike legless lizards, snakes do not have eyelids or external ears, which are key distinguishing features. They can be found in a wide range of habitats around the world and vary greatly in size and behavior.

    Don't like them, don't hate them. Kinda exciting and cool to see them though.

18. Crows

    

19. Seagulls

    

20. Mountain Lions

    

    The cougar, also known as the mountain lion, puma, panther, or catamount, is a large felid of the subfamily Felinae native to the Americas. It is the second-heaviest cat in the Western Hemisphere, after the jaguar. Cougars have one of the largest ranges of any wild terrestrial mammal, extending from... read more

    They have been protected for so long in California that they have no fear of humans, though they mostly keep hidden.

    Being near people gives them access to an easy food source: domestic animals and pets.

21. Indian Leopards

    

    The leopard is one of the five "big cats" in the genus Panthera. It is among the most adaptable and widespread big cats due to its camouflaged fur, opportunistic hunting behavior, broad diet, and the strength to carry heavy carcasses into trees.... read more

    Strangely, Indian leopards are living in the city of Bera alongside humans, despite being large predators.

22. Hummingbirds

    

    Hummingbirds are birds from the Americas that constitute the family Trochilidae. They are among the smallest of birds, with most species measuring between 7.5 and 13 cm in length. Known for their rapid wing beats and ability to hover, they play a crucial role in pollination across many ecosystems.

23. House Sparrows

    

24. Mourning Doves

    

25. Eurasian Collared Doves

    

26. Great Blue Herons

    

27. Falcons

    

    Falcons are birds of prey in the genus Falco, which includes about 40 species. These birds are widely distributed on all continents except Antarctica, although closely related raptors did occur there during the Eocene period.... read more