Remember that feeding animals is not permitted in Crater Lake. The most common violations are the feeding of birds and squirrels in campgrounds and picnic areas. These animals become used to people and approach way too close, sometimes enticing humans to give in and toss them a treat. By doing this, these animals end up not caching pine seeds and other natural food items for the winter. We also play a role by leaving messy camps. Those who leave food out are inviting a flurry of activity in their site. Below is a summer checklist for the mammals in Crater Lake. You can view the checklist below for your chances of spotting your favorite creature.

A - Abundant, C - Common, P - Present, U - Uncommon, R - Rare, + - federally listed species of concern, * - federally listed threatened species, LC - Locally Common.

Pikas, Rabbits, and Hares:

American Pika C
Snowshoe Hare C
White-tailed Jackrabbit U

Opossums:

Virginia Opossum U
Shrews and Moles
Marsh Shrew U
Pacific Shrew U
Water Shrew C
Fog Shrew R
Trowbridge's Shrew U
Vagrant Shrew C
Shrew-mole C
Broad-footed Mole U

A chipmunk searches for food at the crater rim.

Rodents:

American Beaver R
Mountain Beaver U
Yellow-pine Chipmunk C
Least Chipmunk R
Siskiyou Chipmunk U
Townsend's Chipmunk A
Yellow-bellied Marmot C
California Ground Squirrel LC
Belding's Ground Squirrel LC
Golden-mantled Ground A
Squirrel
Western Gray Squirrel R
Douglas' Squirrel C
Northern Flying Squirrel C
Botta's Pocket Gopher U
Western Pocket Gopher C
Great Basin Pocket Mouse R
Deer Mouse A
Bushy-tailed Woodrat LC
Dusky-footed Woodrat U
Western Red-backed Vole C
Heather Vole U
Red Tree Vole LC
Long-tailed Vole LC
Montane Vole U
Creeping Vole U
Water Vole U
Townsend's Vole LC
Common Muskrat R
Western Jumping Mouse LC
Pacific Jumping Mouse LC
Common Porcupine C

Bats:

California Myotis R
Long-eared Myotis+ U
Little Brown Myotis C
Long-legged Myotis+ U
Yuma Myotis+ R
Hoary Bat C
Silver-haired Bat R
Big Brown Bat C
Pallid Bat R

Carnivores:

Coyote C
Red Fox C
Common Gray Fox U
Black Bear C
Common Raccoon R
Marten C
Fisher+ R
Ermine R
Long-tailed Weasel C
Mink R
Wolverine+ R
American Badger C
Western Spotted Skunk U
Striped Skunk LC
Northern River Otter R
Mountain Lion R
Lynx* R
Bobcat R

Deer, Elk, and Pronghorn:

Elk C
Mule Deer C
Pronghorn R

Below is a checklist of Crater Lake summer birds. We are focusing on this season due to the extreme weather which seems to push most people into birdwatching at this time.

Rare summer birds of Crater Lake:

Common Loon, White Pelican, Northern Harrier, Mountain Quail, American Coot, Kildeer, American Pipt, Cedar Waxwing, Song Sparrow, Lark Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Red Crossbill, Common Redpoll, Pine Grosbeak, House Finch, Purple Finch, Lazuli Bunting, Western Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird, Brwer's Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Yellow Warbler, Red-eyed Vireo, Bewick's Wren, Canyon Wren, Pygmy Nuthatch, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, American Crow, Black-billed Magpie, Barn Swallow, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Lewis Wood pecker, Red-naped Sap[sucker, Red-breasted Sapsucker, Downy Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Calliope Hummingbird, Allen's Hummingbird, Black-chinned Hummingbird, White-throated Swift, Common Poor-will, Western Screech Owl, Northern Pygmy Owl, Spotted Owl, Great Gray Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Barn Owl, Rock Dove, Band-tailed pigeon, Ring-billed Gull, Common Snipe, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Ferruginous Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Barrow's Goldeneye, Lesser Scaup, Canvasback, Wood Duck, Northern Pintail, Eared Grebe.

Common summer birds of Crater Lake:

Western Tanager, American Dipper, Brown Creeper, Horned Lark, Lincoln's Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, Pine Siskin, Cassiin's Finch, Rosy Finch, Wilson's Warbler, MacGillivary's Warbler, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Mountain Bluebird, Western Bluebird, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, American Robin, Rock Wren, Winter Wren, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Common Raven, Steller's Jay, Gray Jay, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Rufous Hummingbird, Vaux's Swift, Common Nighthawk, California Gull, Spotted Sandpiper, Blue Grouse, American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, Common Merganser.

Uncommon summer birds of Crater Lake:

Belted Kingfisher, Osprey, Turkey Vulture, Great Blue Heron, Fox Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Green-tailed Towhee, Evening Grosbeak, Hermit Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Warbling Vireo, Solitary Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Townsend's Solitaire, Varied Thrush, White-breasted Nuthatch, Violet-green Swallow, Western Wood-Pewee, Dusky Flycatcher, Hammond's Flycatcher, Black-backed Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Williamson's Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, Mourning Dove, Ruffed Grouse, Prairie Falcon, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Northern Swainson's Hawk, Sharp Shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Mallard, Double-crested Cormorant.

Abundant summer birds of Crater Lake:

Dark-eyed Junco, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Mountain Chickadee, Clark's Nutcracker.

 NEW! Crater Lake National Park campground tours are now available! Includes video tours of Mazama and Lost Creek campgrounds. Our files work on any iPod, iPhone, iPad, Android or home computer. Click the iPod to order. Or use Buy Now: