4 Types of Bison in Washington
4 types of bison have a verified observation record in Washington. The most frequently recorded are Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep and Domestic Sheep. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.
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4 types of bison have a verified observation record in Washington. The most frequently recorded are Mountain Goat, Bighorn Sheep and Domestic Sheep. Here is the full list, ranked by how often each is reported on iNaturalist.
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Real sighting data, source iNaturalist
2,040 verified observations on iNaturalist of bison have been recorded in Washington, most often in August, July, September.
| Species recorded in Washington | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| Mountain Goat | 1,408 |
| Bighorn Sheep | 524 |
| Domestic Sheep | 51 |
| Domestic Cattle | 35 |
| Domestic Goat | 4 |
Verified species, source iNaturalist
4 types of bison recorded in Washington
4 bison species have a verified observation record in Washington, each with at least 10 confirmed sightings. The full list, ranked by how often each is recorded, is below.
| # | Species | Scientific name | Verified records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mountain Goat | Oreamnos americanus | 1,411 |
| 2 | Bighorn Sheep | Ovis canadensis | 524 |
| 3 | Domestic Sheep | Ovis aries | 51 |
| 4 | Domestic Cattle | Bos taurus | 35 |
Plus 1 more recorded only rarely (fewer than 10 verified sightings). Counts from verified iNaturalist observations.
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Top Washington Bison Gifts
The Mountain Goat (Oreamnos americanus) is the most commonly recorded, with 1,411 verified observations — about 70% of all bison reported in Washington. If you spot a bison here, it is statistically most likely to be this one.
Washington also hosts less common bison such as Domestic Sheep and Domestic Cattle, each recorded fewer than 100 times. These are the species worth a second look when you are out, since a sighting is more notable.