Wildlife in Washington state doesn’t just live in remote forests and mountains. Many wild animals have adapted surprisingly well to our urban environments, finding food and shelter right in our neighborhoods.
From small critters to larger mammals, these creatures have learned to navigate human-dominated landscapes across Seattle, Spokane, and other Washington cities. You might be shocked to discover just how many wild neighbors are visiting your backyard after dark – or even in broad daylight.
1. Raccoons: The Midnight Raiders
Those knocked-over garbage cans aren’t an accident! Raccoons have become master urban dwellers throughout Washington’s cities, with their dexterous paws that can unlatch gates and open containers.
In my Seattle neighborhood, these masked bandits regularly raid vegetable gardens, with a particular fondness for ripening corn and juicy tomatoes. Their problem-solving abilities are impressive – I’ve watched one figure out a supposedly ‘raccoon-proof’ bird feeder in under five minutes.
They’re most active at night, so motion-sensor lights can help deter these clever creatures from treating your yard like an all-night buffet.
2. Coyotes: Urban Adaptors
Spotting a coyote trotting down a suburban street is becoming increasingly common across Washington. These adaptable predators have found urban living quite suitable, hunting smaller animals and even sampling fallen fruit from backyard trees.
Coyotes are particularly active in areas where Seattle’s neighborhoods border greenbelts. Unlike their shy forest relatives, urban coyotes have grown somewhat bold around humans, though they generally avoid direct contact.
Keep small pets supervised outdoors, especially at dawn and dusk when coyotes typically hunt. Removing potential food sources like pet food or fallen fruit helps discourage these wild canines from becoming regular visitors.
3. Black Bears: Suburban Visitors
Residents in Issaquah, North Bend, and other communities near the Cascade foothills occasionally wake to find their bird feeders destroyed or garbage cans raided by black bears. These powerful animals follow their noses to easy food sources in our neighborhoods.
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife receives hundreds of bear-related calls annually from suburban areas. Fruit trees are particular attractions – I’ve seen my neighbor’s apple tree stripped bare overnight by a hungry bear passing through Bellingham’s outskirts.
Securing garbage, removing bird feeders during spring and summer, and harvesting fruit promptly are essential practices in bear-prone neighborhoods.
4. Opossums: Tick-Eating Allies
Often misunderstood, Virginia opossums have established themselves throughout western Washington cities, offering surprising benefits to urban yards. These nocturnal marsupials consume thousands of ticks annually, helping reduce Lyme disease risk in our communities.
Garden enthusiasts might appreciate knowing that opossums eat slugs and snails too, providing natural pest control for Washington’s damp urban gardens. During my years in Olympia, I noticed significantly fewer slugs in areas frequented by the local opossum.
Despite their somewhat unsettling appearance and tendency to play dead when threatened, these gentle creatures pose virtually no threat to humans or pets.
5. Barred Owls: Woodland Hunters
The distinctive “who-cooks-for-you” call of barred owls now echoes through neighborhoods across western Washington. These large, round-headed owls have adapted remarkably well to urban environments with mature trees, hunting rodents right in our backyards.
Barred owls weren’t always here – they’ve expanded westward across North America, reaching Washington in the 1970s. Now they’re common residents in Seattle’s parks and tree-lined neighborhoods. Last winter, one roosted in my maple tree for weeks, controlling the local rat population.
Creating owl-friendly habitat with native plantings attracts these beneficial predators, though they sometimes conflict with our smaller native spotted owls.
6. Bald Eagles: Urban Fishers
Our national symbol now regularly soars above Washington’s urban waterways. Bald eagles have made a remarkable comeback, establishing territories along Seattle’s Lake Washington, Tacoma’s Commencement Bay, and other urban shorelines.
Eagles build massive nests in tall trees, sometimes using the same nest for decades. The recovery of these majestic birds represents one of Washington’s greatest conservation success stories. From my Kirkland apartment, I regularly watch eagles fishing in the lake below.
Urban eagles face challenges from habitat loss and pollution, but they’ve proven remarkably adaptable, sometimes hunting in city parks or scavenging at landfills when fish are scarce.
7. Bobcats: Secretive Neighbors
More Washington residents are capturing bobcats on security cameras as these elusive felines adapt to life on the urban fringe. About twice the size of house cats, bobcats hunt rabbits, squirrels, and other small animals that thrive in our neighborhoods.
Unlike mountain lions, bobcats rarely cause conflicts with humans. They’re masters of stealth, often living undetected in greenbelts adjacent to housing developments. A friend in Redmond discovered a bobcat had been visiting her property for months before she finally spotted it.
These spotted cats help control rodent populations naturally. If you’re lucky enough to glimpse one, consider it a sign of a healthy local ecosystem.
8. River Otters: Aquatic Commuters
Residents near Seattle’s waterways often spot river otters sliding down muddy banks or swimming with surprising speed between docks. These playful mammals have adapted to urban shorelines throughout Puget Sound and along river systems statewide.
River otters create dens in banks near water but will travel surprising distances overland between water bodies. During my time living near Lake Union, I watched otters regularly cross roads to move between the lake and nearby Portage Bay.
While charming to observe, otters occasionally cause conflicts by taking up residence under decks or boathouses, where their bathroom habits and fish remains can create unpleasant odors.
9. Anna’s Hummingbirds: Year-Round Residents
Once only summer visitors, Anna’s hummingbirds now live in Washington cities year-round, bringing jewel-toned brilliance to winter gardens. Climate change and backyard feeders have allowed these tiny birds to expand their range dramatically northward.
Male Anna’s perform spectacular courtship dives, climbing 100+ feet before plummeting toward the ground at 60 mph. The distinctive buzz created by their tail feathers during this dive often startles unsuspecting gardeners. I’ve counted six different hummingbirds visiting my Tacoma garden on winter mornings.
Native plants like salmonberry, red-flowering currant, and Oregon grape provide natural nectar sources that support these remarkable birds through all seasons.
10. Crows: Feathered Intellectuals
American crows have formed complex societies in Washington cities, recognizing individual human faces and passing this knowledge to their offspring. These highly intelligent birds gather in massive winter roosts of thousands in Seattle, Tacoma, and other urban centers.
University of Washington researchers have documented crows recognizing and remembering people who’ve threatened them for years. They’ve even been observed leaving small “gifts” for humans who regularly feed them. My neighbor receives shiny trinkets from the family of crows she’s befriended.
Despite sometimes being noisy neighbors, crows provide valuable ecosystem services by cleaning up carrion and controlling insect populations in our gardens.