Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
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Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Hidden Wildlife

Most visitors come to the Zoo to see exotic animals. Did you know about Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Hidden Wildlife, including thousands of beautiful and fascinating animals from around the world? These animals live wild on our Zoo grounds or visit from the surrounding area. We may not always “see” them, but if we look for signs (burrows, tracks in snow…) and listen (bird songs), Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo’s Hidden Wildlife comes alive. Several factors combine to make our Zoo and surrounding Beardsley Park a unique haven for wildlife. We are…

  • A few miles from Long Island Sound with access to the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Positioned along the Atlantic flyway for dozens of species of waterfowl and migratory birds.
  • On the banks of the Pequonnock River, bridging Connecticut’s coastal and upland habitat types.
  • A green oasis in Connecticut’s largest city.
  • A natural travel corridor for many animal species including endangered species and many birds of prey.

Not only is Connecticut home to an incredible diversity of wildlife, we are also home to many introduced animals such as Mute Swans from Europe and Monk Parrots from Argentina.
Mammals
Eastern Chipmunk
Eastern
Cottontail Rabbit
Gray Squirrel
Large Brown Bat
Little Brown Bat
Meadow Vole
North American River Otter
Northern Short-Tailed Shrew
Raccoon
Star-Nosed Mole
Striped Skunk
Virginia Opossum
White-Footed Mouse
Woodchuck
Reptiles/Amphibians
American Toad
Black Rat Snake
Bull Frog
Gray Tree Frog
Green Frog
Northern Brown Snake
Northern Garter Snake
Northern Water Snake
Pickerel Frog
Spring peeper
Birds
American Black Duck
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Kestrel
American Robin
Black Capped Chickadee
Bald Eagle
Barn Swallow
Belted Kingfisher
Blue Jay
Blue Winged Teal
Broad Winged Hawk
Brown Thrasher
Canada Goose
Chimney Swift
Chipping Sparrow
Common Grackle
Common Nighthawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Double Crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Phoebe
European Starling
Fish Crow
Golden Crowned Kinglet
Gray Catbird
Great Black Backed Gull
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl
Green Winged Teal
Hairy Woodpecker
Herring Gull
Hooded Merganser
House Finch
Birds (continued)
House Sparrow
House Wren
Killdeer
Laughing Gull
Least Sandpiper
Lesser Black Backed Gull
Little Green Heron
Mallard
Merlin
Monk Parrot
Mourning Dove
Mute Swan
Northern Cardinal
Northern Harrier
Northern Mockingbird
Northern (Baltimore) Oriole
Northern Shoveler
Osprey
Peregrine Falcon
Pileated Woodpecker
Purple Finch
Red Bellied Woodpecker
Red Shouldered Hawk
Red Tailed Hawk
Ring Billed Gull
Ring Necked Pheasant
Red Winged Blackbird
Rock Dove
Rose Breasted Grosbeak
Ruby Throated Hummingbird
Rufous Sided Towhee
Scarlet Tanager
Screech Owl
Sharp Shinned Hawk
Slate Colored Junco
Tree Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Vulture
White Breasted Nuthatch
Wild Turkey
Wood Duck
Woodcock
Yellow Rumped Warbler
Yellow Shafted Flicker
Yellowthroat Warbler
This list of eye-catching creatures is only a small sampling of the thousands of smaller species present on Zoo grounds.
Insects/Spiders/Invertebrates
Angular Winged Katydid
Barn Spider
Dog Day Harvest fly (Cicada)
Giant Root Borer (beetle)
Oak Timberworm Beetle
Patent Leather Beetle
Praying Mantis
Pseudoscorpion
Reddish Brown Stag Beetle
Wolf Spider
Butterflies and Moths
American Painted Lady
Common Sulfur
Eastern Black Swallowtail
European Cabbage Butterfly
Giant Swallowtail
Great Spangled Fritillary
Harvester
Monarch
Morning Cloak
Northern Metalmark
Painted Lady
Gypsy Moth
Sweetheart Underwing
Question Mark
Silver Spotted Skipper
Spring Azure
Tiger Swallowtail
White Admiral
Bunnell’s Pond and greater Beardsley Park are home to a greater variety of wildlife including…
American Bittern
American Coot
American Widgeon
Barred Owl
Black Crowned Night Heron
Cattle Egret
Common Golden-eye
Common Merganser
Coyote
Eastern Bluebird
Gadwall
Gray Fox
Great Egret
Green Winged Teal
Least Sandpiper
Least Tern
Musk Turtle
Painted Turtle
Pied Billed Grebe
Purple Gallinule
Red Eared Slider
Red Fox
Royal Tern
Ruddy Duck
Scaup
Snapping Turtle
Snow Goose
Snowy Egret
This is a growing list* of resident wildlife here at the Zoo and the skies above. Let’s expand our list together!

In keeping with a Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo tradition of exchanging and sharing knowledge with our guests, we welcome your feedback. We encourage you to bring field guides and binoculars and…

–Look and Listen–Explore–Share– let us know if you discover an animal not listed. Contact the Zoo’s Education Department at (203) 394-6563. Your find might be a Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo first!
PRESS
JOBS
CONTACT US
EN ESPANOL
​203-394-6565
​info@beardsleyzoo.org 
1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06610
Open 9am-4pm daily
​Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is dedicated to acquainting a diverse public to the delicate balance that exists between living things and their environment.

Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo is a 501(c)(3) not for profit owned and operated by the Connecticut Zoological Society.

2019 Kids Out and About #1
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
Connecticut - Still Revolutionary
Weekly Best of Fairfield County Readers' Poll 2014
FC Buzz Events - Arts & Culture of Fairfield County
© 2022 Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo
  • Home
  • About
    • Blog
    • Contact Us
    • Jobs
    • Press
  • Guest Info
    • Accessibility
    • Calendar
    • For Kids >
      • Coloring Pages
      • Zoo Patrol
      • Zoo Tots
    • Our Animals >
      • Eastern Rat Snake
    • Our Plants
    • Parents
    • Zoo Cams >
      • Outdoor Red Panda Cam
      • Indoor Red Panda Cam
      • Outdoor Spider Monkey Cam
      • Indoor Spider Monkey Cam
      • Otter Cam
    • Zoo Etiquette
    • Zoo Map
  • Membership
  • Education
    • Zoo to You!
    • Digital Programs
    • Kids & Teens
    • Field Trips
    • Cool Blue Bridgeport
    • Educational Resources
  • Support
    • Animal Sponsorship
    • Appeal
    • Corporate Support
    • Donate
    • Events
    • Gift Guide
    • Honor & Remember
    • Monthly Giving
    • Naming Opportunities
    • Wish List
  • Birthdays, Private Events & Weddings
    • Birthdays
    • Private Events
    • Weddings
    • Rates and Details
  • Volunteer
    • Interns
  • Buy Tickets