Central California Wildlife – Where you might find it and how to identify them
Central California Wildlife
Central California wildlife – there are many varieties of fauna found here on the Central Coast and it is likely that you will encounter many of these species while enjoying your vacation or getaway here. You may even make a special trip to view one or more of them.
Why is there such an abundance and variety of Central California wildlife?
The answer is easily found if you look at the population density map for the state there on the left. The color red means lots of people living in cities. So you can see that the LA and the San Francisco Bay areas have many folk living where there is no longer habitat for larger species. You can also see that between them (Central California) there is no red, only shades of green and yellow. Not many people per square mile and more open space and wildlife habitat.
So when you come here to visit that all means that you are more than likely to spot some of variety of wildlife living here among us.
Your Quick Guide to Central California Wildlife
Please don’t expect to find a “field guide” here. That’s not my intent and if you are going on vacation to find some particular species of animal, you’re probably already more of an expert than I am.
These are the “Cliff notes” for wildlife; what you might see when driving Highways 1 or 101 or on a backroad somewhere. This is also the answer to the kid’s question from the backseat: “WHAT’S THAT!?!”.
Again, this is not a comprehensive list of all animals that you might observe. It covers just the the most commonly seen or those that are particularly interesting.
Central Coast Wildlife: Mammals
Land Mammals
- Mule Deer
- Tule Elk
- Pronghorn Antelope
- Mountain Lion (cougar)
- Bobcat
- Wild Pig
- Black Bear
- Coyote
- Red Fox
- Gray Fox
- Skunk
- Racoon
- Ground Squirrel
Marine Mammals
- Sea Otters
- Sea Lions
- Northern Elephant Seal
- Harbor Seals
- Gray Whale
- Blue Whale
- Humpback Whale
- Dolphin
Central Coast Wildlife: Birds and Insects
- Bald Eagle
- Golden Eagle
- Red-tail Hawk
- Red-shoulder Hawk
- Wild Turkey
- Turkey Vulture
- California Quail
- California Condor
- Magpie
- Scrub Jay
- Stellar’s Jay
- Roadrunner
- Pelican
- Monarch Butterflies
Central California has much in the way of wildlife to see when you visit. And it’s certainly not the only place to which you might travel to see the fauna.
