Joshua Tree National Park
🇺🇸 United States
🐦 Common Raven Echoes Joshua TreeJoshua Tree National Park sits in the Mojave Desert of the United States, a desert and dry‑scrub landscape dotted with iconic Joshua trees and massive granite monoliths. The park’s open valleys and rocky outcrops create a stage for desert wildlife.
33.825° N 115.778° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Bighorn Sheep
Ovis canadensis
★ 
Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise
Gopherus agassizii
★ 
Common Chuckwalla
Sauromalus ater
★ 
Greater Roadrunner
Geococcyx californianus
📊 Most Spotted
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Costa's Hummingbird
Calypte costae
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
White-tailed Antelope Squirrel
Ammospermophilus leucurus
Desert Cottontail
Sylvilagus audubonii
California Ground Squirrel
Otospermophilus beecheyi
Black-tailed Jackrabbit
Lepus californicus
Coyote
Canis latrans
Bobcat
Lynx rufus
California Chipmunk
Tamias obscurus
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Desert Woodrat
Neotoma lepida
Mule Deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Round-tailed Ground Squirrel
Xerospermophilus tereticaudus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Common Raven
Corvus corax
House Finch
Haemorhous mexicanus
Verdin
Auriparus flaviceps
Mourning Dove
Zenaida macroura
White-crowned Sparrow
Zonotrichia leucophrys
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
Costa's Hummingbird
Calypte costae
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Phainopepla
Phainopepla nitens
Black Phoebe
Sayornis nigricans
Say's Phoebe
Sayornis saya
Bewick's Wren
Thryomanes bewickii
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Western Whiptail
Aspidoscelis tigris
Desert Iguana
Dipsosaurus dorsalis
Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis
Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos
Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii
Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake
Crotalus pyrrhus
Desert Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Gopher Snake
Pituophis catenifer
Pond Slider
Trachemys scripta
📊 Most Spotted
Red-spotted Toad
Anaxyrus punctatus
California Treefrog
Pseudacris cadaverina
Woodhouse's Toad
Anaxyrus woodhousii
Great Plains Toad
Anaxyrus cognatus
Western Toad
Anaxyrus boreas
American Bullfrog
Lithobates catesbeianus
Pacific chorus frog
Pseudacris regilla
Rio Grande Leopard Frog
Lithobates berlandieri
Recent sightings in Joshua Tree National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Desert Tortoise Spring Emergence
Desert tortoises emerge from winter brumation to forage and drink after spring rains — their peak activity window in creosote scrub at lower elevations.
3Bighorn Sheep Rut and Waterhole Season
In late summer desert bighorn descend to permanent water sources like Barker Dam during the heat, and rams begin the rut — the most reliable window to watch them.
2Spring Migration at the Oases
Joshua Tree is a Pacific Flyway stopover: spring migrants and returning breeders concentrate at Oasis of Mara, Cottonwood Spring and Barker Dam, including large turkey vulture gatherings and arriving Costa's hummingbirds.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Desert Tortoise Spring Emergence
- 2Spring Migration at the Oases
- 3Bighorn Sheep Rut and Waterhole Season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Joshua Tree National Park?
The most likely sightings are Common Raven (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Common Side-blotched Lizard (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), House Finch (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Verdin (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Mourning Dove (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 593 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park for wildlife?
April has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.
Can you see Bighorn Sheep in Joshua Tree National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Bighorn Sheep sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 494 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise in Joshua Tree National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Agassiz’s Desert Tortoise sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 368 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Common Chuckwalla in Joshua Tree National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Common Chuckwalla sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 2,139 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Greater Roadrunner in Joshua Tree National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Greater Roadrunner sighting in Joshua Tree National Park, based on 1,926 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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