Wildlife of Paris, France
Paris supports a surprising slice of Île-de-France wildlife — kingfishers along the Seine, peregrines nesting on Notre-Dame's spire before the fire and now returning, red squirrels in the Bois de Vincennes, and a growing population of urban red foxes. Forests just outside the périphérique still hold wild boar and roe deer.
Best timeApril – June for breeding songbirds, October – February for wintering waterbirds along the Seine.
- 1Peregrine falcons have nested on Notre-Dame since 2011.
- 2The Bois de Vincennes hosts breeding red foxes and tawny owls.
- 3The Seine is now clean enough for salmon and Atlantic sturgeon monitoring.
Signature species
Curated for Paris, France, each tagged with its IUCN Red List status.
- LC
Common kingfisher
Alcedo atthis
- CR
European eel
Anguilla anguilla
- LC
Tawny owl
Strix aluco
- NT
European hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus
- LC
Beech marten
Martes foina
IUCN codes — EX extinct · EW extinct in wild · CR critically endangered · EN endangered · VU vulnerable · NT near threatened · LC least concern · DD data deficient
Dos & don'ts
Local etiquette that keeps wildlife wild.
Do
- Visit Parc Montsouris at dawn for songbird migration in May.
- Support LPO's urban swift-box programme.
- Keep distance — use zoom or binoculars, never bait animals closer.
- Stay on marked trails to avoid trampling nests, burrows and plants.
Don't
- Don't disturb chimney-swift roosts.
- Don't buy eel — the species is critically endangered.
- Never feed wildlife — human food changes behaviour and shortens lives.
- Don't share exact locations of nests, dens or rare species online.
Spotted here lately
Live from iNaturalist — research-grade observations within 50km, last 30 days.
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