Wildlife bingo is only fair when the animals live where you are. These 120 North American squares come in four habitat sets of 24 animals and one set of tracks, calls and signs, each with where and when to look.
Read the full guide
Match the card to your habitat
The full list mixes all five. For an outing, pick one habitat in Ready-made list: Woodland and forest edge (White-tailed deer to Eastern newt), Ponds, marshes and rivers (American beaver to Spring peeper), Mountains, plains and desert (Elk to Horned lizard) or Backyards, fields and after dark (Raccoon to Green treefrog). Each holds 24, so at 5 × 5 every card carries the same animals in a different order; at 4 × 4 the cards differ.
Play it as a called wildlife bingo game
Indoors, press Call the game and the page draws each square once. A clue shows under every call, so the caller can read the clue and let players name the animal. First full row, column or diagonal wins, and the free center counts.
Dawn and dusk fill a card fastest: deer, foxes, cottontails, woodcock and bats are all twilight animals.
With no printer, each hiker opens this page on a phone, takes a different card and taps squares to mark them.
Under More options, set Cards per printed page to 1 for a walk: a full-page card survives a clipboard and a pencil.
Questions and answers
Can a track or a call count as a sighting?
Yes, and the last 24 squares exist for that: tracks, owl pellets, a beaver dam, coyotes howling. About half the mammals on the card are out at dusk or at night, so signs are often all a daytime walk gives you.
How close can we get to mark a square?
Not close. Many national parks require 25 yards from most wildlife and 100 from bears and wolves, and the Park Service adds that if an animal reacts to you, you are too close. Binoculars count; feeding never does.
Do these animals live near me?
The woodland and backyard sets lean toward the eastern states, the third set is western, and wetland animals such as the great blue heron and the mallard live across most of the continent. In the word list, type your own animals over the strangers.
Can I get a blank or numbered card?
Yes to both. Press Empty the list, then the print button, for blank cards to fill in by hand, or type your own animals, one per line. For numbers, the bingo card generator deals cards of 1 to 75.
All 120 squares
Woodland and forest edge 24
Barred owlLives in mature forest. Its eight hoots sound like: who cooks for you, who cooks for you all.
Black bearForest country, mostly around dawn and dusk. Many parks ask for 100 yards between you and a bear.
BobcatOn the move from about three hours before sunset until midnight, and again before dawn.
Common garter snakeOut by day. In summer, look in the morning and the late afternoon.
Eastern box turtleA land turtle of the eastern states. Look on the forest floor, not in the pond.
Eastern fence lizardBasks on stumps, logs and fence posts in the early morning sun.
Eastern newt (red eft)The red eft is the bright orange young newt that lives on land. Look after warm rain.
Eastern rat snakeOnce called the black rat snake. Not venomous, a strong climber, often seen near buildings hunting rodents.
Five-lined skinkBasks in the sun in moist hardwood woods. Young ones have a bright blue tail.
Gray foxOut mostly at night or at twilight. It dens in hollow trees.
Gray treefrogA small tree-climbing frog that shifts from gray to green or brown to match where it sits.
Show all 120 squares (109 more)
Woodland and forest edge, continued
Long-tailed weaselHunts along fencerows and patches of woods. At night its eyes shine green in a light.
MooseThe tallest deer in the world. It lives in northern forests and wades in to eat water plants.
PorcupineOut at night. North America's second largest rodent, after the beaver.
Red foxFoxes that live near towns are most active at dusk and dawn.
Red squirrelOut by day in conifer woods, feeding on the seeds in cones.
Red-shouldered hawkHunts from a treetop perch or soars over the woods.
Red-tailed hawkCheck the utility poles along a highway, where it perches to hunt.
Ruffed grouseThe male drums his wings from a log, slow at first and then faster. You often hear him first.
Snowshoe hareBrown in summer, white in winter. Active at twilight and through the night.
Spotted salamanderLives underground in mature forest and rarely comes up, except after rain.
Turkey vultureSoars with its wings in a shallow V, tipping from side to side.
White-tailed deerBusiest at dusk and dawn. Watch where woods meet a field.
Wood frogMostly out by day. It breeds in vernal pools, the woodland ponds that dry up in summer.
Ponds, marshes and rivers 24
American alligatorFreshwater marshes and cypress swamps from Texas to North Carolina. Watch from well back.
American beaverActive mainly at night. Find the dam and the lodge first, then wait.
American bullfrogNamed for the male's deep bellow. It lives at permanent ponds, swamps and lakes.
American minkSemiaquatic: it swims well and also climbs trees.
Bald eagleLook near large open water with old trees to nest in.
Belted kingfisherPerches on a branch or a post by the water, then dives in headfirst. Listen for its rattle.
Canada gooseOn or near fresh water, and at home in parks and other places people have shaped.
Common loonSummers on northern lakes and winters along both coasts.
Double-crested cormorantIts feathers are not fully waterproof, so after a dive it stands with wings outstretched to dry.
Great blue heronAt home in almost any wetland: marshes, flooded meadows, lake edges and shorelines.
Great egretAll white, with a yellow bill and black legs. It flies slowly with its neck pulled in.
MallardOn fresh or salt water almost anywhere, park ponds included.
MuskratMost active at night and near dawn and dusk. Much smaller than a beaver, often in the same marsh.
Northern leopard frogPonds, marshes and slow streams with plenty of water plants. The male's call is a short snore.
Northern water snakeNot venomous. Most often seen basking on rocks, stumps or brush, and it dives when disturbed.
OspreyIt eats almost nothing but fish, so it nests near water, often on a pole or a platform.
Painted turtleActive only by day, when it basks for hours on logs and rocks.
River otterMostly nocturnal. It lives along streams, rivers and lakes, and its den opens under water.
Sandhill craneIts loud, rolling trumpet call carries a long way. It feeds in shallow wetlands and open fields.
Snapping turtleLives in shallow ponds and streams, and travels over land to lay its eggs.
Spiny softshell turtleLives in rivers, lakes and ponds, mostly in water less than three feet deep.
Spring peeperIts chirping chorus marks the start of spring. Seldom seen outside the chorus, so hearing it counts.
Trumpeter swanThe heaviest bird native to North America. It keeps to quiet, shallow wetlands.
Wood duckOne of the few ducks that perch and nest in trees. Look in wooded swamps and creeks.
Mountains, plains and desert 24
American badgerOpen grassland. A white stripe runs back from its nose. Mostly out at night.
American bisonNorth America's largest land animal by weight. Prairies, plains and river valleys. Keep 25 yards or more away.
American pikaLives in rock piles at or above the tree line. Out by day, gathering plants into haypiles.
Bighorn sheepGrassy mountain slopes near rocky cliffs. Rams carry the big curved horns; ewes have short ones.
Black-tailed jackrabbitA hare with long ears. It shelters under shrubs by day and feeds in the open at night.
Black-tailed prairie dogOut by day on the shortgrass prairie of the Great Plains.
Burrowing owlAn owl that is often out by day. It nests in old prairie dog burrows.
CoyoteIts howl changes quickly in tone and pitch. Its Latin name means barking dog.
Desert tortoiseMojave and Sonoran deserts. It spends at least 95% of its life in burrows and is most active after rain.
ElkOpen forest and forest edges. In the rut, from August, bulls bugle: a loud, high whistle.
Golden eagleSoars with wings and tail held flat, and nests on cliffs.
Gray wolfListen for howling, from one wolf or a pack. Many parks ask for 100 yards.
Greater roadrunnerA long-legged cuckoo of the Southwest. The male coos from a fence post or a cactus early in the morning.
Greater sage-grouseIt lives only in sagebrush country. Each spring the males gather to strut on display grounds called leks.
Grizzly bearThe muscular shoulder hump tells it from a black bear. Many parks ask for 100 yards.
Horned lizardA flat, round body with horns on the head. Some kinds squirt blood from the corners of their eyes.
JavelinaThe collared peccary of the Southwest, which travels in herds. In central Arizona it is often more active at night.
Kangaroo ratA mostly nocturnal rodent of dry, sandy country that hops on its big hind legs.
Mountain goatA sure-footed climber seen on sheer rock faces, from the Cascades and northern Rockies to Alaska.
Mountain lionIt prefers dense brush and rocky ground for stalking, but lives in open country too.
Mule deerThe deer of the West, named for its large, mule-like ears.
Peregrine falconNests on cliff edges and, in cities, on tall buildings.
PronghornThe fastest land mammal in the Americas, up to 55 mph. Look for the white rump.
Yellow-bellied marmotAlso called the rock chuck. Out by day in western mountains, and it hibernates about eight months.
Backyards, fields and after dark 24
American woodcockAt dawn and dusk in spring the male calls a buzzy peent, then spirals up on twittering wings.
Big brown batRoosts by day in tree cavities and buildings, and hunts insects at night.
Black-crowned night heronStands still at the water's edge to ambush prey at night, early in the morning or in the evening.
Common nighthawkFlies at dusk and dawn over cities, prairies and forests. Its call usually gives it away.
Cooper's hawkOften perches hidden in the canopy. Its call is a harsh keh-keh-keh.
Eastern cottontailMost active at dawn and dusk in fields, meadows and brushy edges.
Eastern screech-owlStrictly nocturnal, and it often nests in trees in neighborhoods and yards.
Eastern whip-poor-willNamed for its song. Heard far more often than seen, because of its camouflage.
Flying squirrelStrictly nocturnal. It glides on a fold of skin stretched from wrist to ankle; it does not fly.
Great horned owlListen after dark for a low, loud ho-ho-hoo hoo hoo.
Green anoleA tree lizard of the Southeast, out by day all year. It shifts between green and brown.
Green treefrogA nocturnal frog of the central and southeastern states, near permanent water.
Little brown batLeaves its roost at dusk and feeds for one and a half to three hours.
Meadow voleActive all year, usually at night, in moist grassland.
Mexican free-tailed batRoosts in caves in huge numbers. The evening flight out begins around sunset.
Nine-banded armadilloMostly nocturnal. It comes out to forage around dusk.
Pocket gopherA burrower named for its large cheek pouches. Each gopher keeps its own tunnel system.
RaccoonUsually out at night. Its name comes from a Powhatan word for an animal that scratches with its hands.
RingtailA nocturnal animal of rocky desert canyons in the Southwest. Its call is a loud bark.
Striped skunkMostly out at night. Give it room: the spray carries several meters.
Thirteen-lined ground squirrelStrictly a daytime animal, busiest on warm days.
Virginia opossumAbout the size of a house cat, out at night, and often near trash cans and compost piles.
Western fence lizardCommon in the West, often seen in yards and, as the name says, on fences.
WoodchuckAlso called the groundhog. Out by day, most often early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Tracks, sounds and other signs 24
Antler rub on a saplingFrom late summer a buck rubs the velvet off his antlers and shreds the bark.
Bark stripped by a porcupineIn winter a porcupine eats mainly conifer needles and tree bark.
Beaver damIt holds back a pond that protects the beavers from predators and stores their winter food.
Beaver lodgeA dome of sticks, twigs and mud in the pond. The entrance is under water.
Beaver-gnawed stumpBeavers gnaw the bark for food and build with the sticks.
Coyotes howlingHearing them counts.
Deer tracks in mudHeart-shaped, pointed and split down the middle, 2½ to 4 inches long.
Eyeshine in a flashlight beamA mirror-like layer behind the retina sends your light back. Many places restrict shining lights at wildlife: check the rules first, and never shine from a car.
Frog chorus at duskHearing it counts. The singers are hard to see.
Game trail through the brushA narrow path worn by animals taking the same route again and again.
Muskrat house of cattailsCalled a push-up: a mound of plants and mud in a marsh, up to three feet high.
Osprey nest on a platformA large heap of sticks on a pole, a platform or a treetop near water.
Otter slide on a bankA smooth chute at least 8 inches wide, in mud or snow, on a sloped bank.
Owl hooting after darkHearing it counts.
Owl pelletThe fur and bones a bird of prey could not digest, coughed up in a lump.
Paw print showing claw marksDog family. Coyote tracks are more oval and compact than a pet dog's.
Paw print with no claw marksCat family. Bobcat tracks show four toes and no claws, because the claws retract.
Raccoon tracks, like handsFive long toes, like a small bare hand. Look in the mud beside streams and ponds.
Scat on the trailThe tracker's word for wild animal droppings. Look, do not touch.
Shed antlerAntlers drop and regrow every year. In Missouri most fall in February and March.
Shed snake skinA snake sheds its whole outer layer in one piece, like a sock turned inside out.
Squirrel leaf nest (drey)A ball of leaves and twigs in a high fork, easiest to see after the leaves fall.
Tuft of fur on a fenceAny fur or hair snagged on wire, bark or a thorn counts.
Twigs nipped off by deerDeer nip the buds and branch tips off shrubs and young trees.