North America's Most Iconic Wildlife

Summer is upon us, and with any luck, that means vacation.  For those of us who love nature and the great outdoors, that usually means traveling to visit North America's beautiful National and State Parks.  And for the binocular-toting crowd in particular, an experience in the outdoors is not complete without a few memorable encounters with the wonderful wild animals that call these places home. 

Visit any National Park in North America and a traffic jam is sure to mean one thing: Wildlife.  (Or, possibly, lack of parking spots.  But hopefully it's wildlife.)  A critter pauses along the roadside anywhere from Acadia to Joshua Tree, and all the break lights flash on.

We can't help ourselves.  Wildlife enthralls us.

I roll my eyes at tourists who stop their cars in Yosemite Valley to gawk at Mule Deer, a common, ho-hum species here in the West.  Yet when we visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park last year, I did the exact same thing when I spotted White-tailed Deer, a species we don't have here in California.  What can I say?  I'm human.  (More than that, I'm a human that is enamored with wildlife!)

North America is home to a host of iconic wildlife species that people from around the world are eager to see when they visit our National Parks.  While a number of animals are still on my bucket list, I've been blessed with the opportunity to visit many of our parks over the years (32 out of 61*, for those counting), and have enjoyed many memorable (and safe!!) wildlife encounters. 

Young bull moose, Grand Teton National Park

Without further ado, here is my list of what I consider to be some of North America's most iconic wildlife.

Moose are an iconic, quintessentially North American species of the north woods.  Four subspecies of moose are found in North America, so if you were to travel to Alaska, the Rocky Mountains, northern Minnesota and Maine, you would have the chance to see four slightly different subspecies of this very cool creature.

Moose are ungulates (hoofed mammals) that may be considered semi-aquatic, as most of their time is spent in and around shallow lakes, ponds and boreal wetlands, often belly-deep in water as they feed on aquatic vegetation.  Standing over 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighing over half a ton, moose are massive animals.  While they look placid - often comically so - moose are not to be messed with; remember to keep a safe distance from cows and calves, as well as bull moose!

Two of the best places I know of to see Moose in the West are Grand Tetons and Rocky Mountain National Parks.

Cow moose with twin calves, Rocky Mountain National Park

Bison probably evoke the spirit of the West more vividly than any other North American mammal.  A herd of these incredible mammals thundering across the plains, raising clouds of dust in their wake, is an awe-inspiring spectacle - and one that we nearly lost.

Prior to the 19th century, some 30 million bison roamed in vast herds across much of North America, where they grazed and fertilized the prairies, all while providing native peoples with meat, leather and so much more.  Sadly, sport hunters arrived on the scene, conveyed west over newly-laid railroads, and by 1900 bison had nearly been hunted to extinction... purely for grisly entertainment.  Perhaps as few as one thousand individual bison survived.  

American Bison, Yellowstone National Park

Thankfully, herculean conservation efforts throughout the 20th century have helped bison herds to recover, as land has been protected and herds of bison reintroduced to reserves.  Today, around 30,000 individuals can be found on protected land across the Great Plains.  Of course, the task of stewarding these magnificent creatures is on-going.

Perhaps the most iconic place in all of North America to see this impressive animal is Yellowstone National Park.

American Bison, Yellowstone National Park

Elk are technically a large species of deer, which is also divided into four subspecies: the Roosevelt Elk of the Pacific Northwest, the Rocky Mountain Elk of the Rocky Mountains, the Tule Elk of California, and the Manitoba Elk, now restricted to Manitoba and Saskatchewan.  Like other ungulates, they are favored targets for hunters and an important prey animal in their ecosystems. 

In fact, elk are browsers as well as grazers, which means they feed on shrubs and trees as well as grasses.  In the absence of natural predators, elk numbers increase dramatically, and when left unchecked, this puts unnaturally high browsing pressure on plant communities.   

Look for elk in Rocky Mountains, Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Olympic and Redwood National Parks. 

Rocky Mountain Elk, Yellowstone National Park 

Pronghorn (sometimes called "antelope") are the fastest land mammal in North America, often spotted from a distance running at great speeds across the plains.  They are graceful, beautiful animals, evocative of the wide open spaces that cover much of the Western U.S.  

Pronghorn are not really true antelope, neither are they closely related to deer, but are unique among all other creatures in North America.

Pronghorn, Pawnee National Grassland

Sagebrush deserts and vast treeless prairies are the home of pronghorn.  Look for Pronghorn at Grand Teton, Theodore Roosevelt and Great Basin National Park, or any of the national grasslands dotted across the Great Plains.

Pronghorn, Pawnee National Grassland

Other iconic North American ungulates to put on your wildlife bucket list include Mountain Goats (which are easiest to see at Glacier National Park) and Bighorn Sheep.  

Grizzly Bears and American Black Bears are both iconic North American species, in my opinion, so they both make the list.  Grizzly Bears are the larger (and more dangerous) of the two species, readily identified by their bulky size, humped shoulders and dish-shaped face.  Black Bears are smaller, with a more Roman nose and flat back.  (It's worth noting that both Grizzly Bears and Black Bears can be brown or cinnamon in color.)

To get a glimpse of a Grizzly, try Grand Tetons or Yellowstone National Park.  (Just be smart and safe about it, please.)  Black Bears abound in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, as well as just about every other wooded park in the West.  (Use the bear boxes provided at campgrounds and picnic areas.  They're there for a good reason!)

American Black Bear, Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Wolves and Coyotes absolutely ooze wilderness mystique.  The sound of their calls alone is enough to raise goosebumps.  And from ravaging Wolves of the frozen North, to tricksy Coyotes of Southwestern deserts, legends of these canines abound.  But what is the real truth behind these familiar, dog-like facades?  The vast majority of the time, they're just like any other wild animal: content to go about their business and stay out of the way of humans.  Like other wildlife, admire them from a respectful distance and give them the space they need to thrive.   

Young Coyote, Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge

Coyotes are a common sight across the West, and they've been expanding their range into the East as well.  They can be found in a number of National Parks, like Yosemite and Joshua Tree, as well as across many National Wildlife Refuges.

Wolves have a more restricted range, though reintroduction efforts have been successful in Yellowstone and elsewhere in the West.  Their range is naturally expanding as well, and they have even returned to remote northeastern California!  

The best place I'm aware of to see wolves is still the Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park.  (Coyotes live there too, though, so identify them carefully.  Wolves are bigger and bulkier, with broader snouts, more rounded ears, and fluffier tails.  But in some places, especially in the east, the two species may hybridize.) 

Coyote with gopher prey, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge

Prairie Dogs must be added to this list as well.  Though maybe not as impressive as the larger mammals pictured above, Prairie Dogs are charismatic in their own right, as well as a keystone species in one of North America's most iconic ecosystems, the prairie.  Across the Great Plains, Prairie Dog towns provide critical habitat for a number of species, including Burrowing Owls and highly endangered Black-footed Ferrets.  Badgers and Coyotes often hang out around Prairie Dog towns as well, since these little rodents are on the menu for a long list of predators! 

Badlands and Theodore Roosevelt National Parks are known for their Prairie Dog towns, though they can be found across a number of grasslands in the Great Plains.

Black-tailed Prairie Dog, Pawnee National Grassland

And of course, the number-one most iconic bird species in North America must be the Bald Eagle.  

(Runners-up may include the California Condor, Sandhill Crane or Wild Turkey.  What do you think?)  Our national symbol, the Bald Eagle was nearly lost due to contaminates such as DDT in the environment, as well as deliberate persecution.  Today, Bald Eagle populations have recovered so much that this majestic bird has been removed from the Endangered Species list!  However, as I said before, good stewardship of this species and its habitat must be on-going.

Look for Bald Eagles across North America, where large bodies of water are found adjacent to forests.  During the winter, they visit coasts and wetlands as well - anywhere that has an abundance of prey, like fish and coots! 

Bald Eagle

It should go without saying, but I feel the need to say it anyway: Wildlife is wild.  Animals don't need to be feared, but they do demand respect.  Never feed wildlife (no matter how small or cute or "tame") or leave food unattended; always keep a safe distance away from wildlife; observe wild animals quietly, without causing them to alter their natural behavior.  When in doubt, back away.  And for goodness sake, don't touch the wildlife!!  Leave it alone and let wildlife stay wild, for the good of everyone involved.  

What do you think?  Did I leave out any of North America's most iconic species of wildlife?  (Maybe smaller species, like Racoons or chipmunks, or perhaps scaley critters, like alligators?)  

What more would you add to the list?

*Not counting American Samoa and Virgin Islands... or Gateway Arch!