This page is updated periodically with the profiles of different species. Please check back from time to time to see more species profiles.
As you sit outside on a summer’s evening, you may see the curious sight of a bird erratically dodging around the sky catching a variety of insects. If you have a light on with bugs swarming around it, you are likely to see this daredevil swooping close to the light. What you are probably witnessing is the common nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) feasting on his favorite foods.
The nighthawk is not a true hawk and is often seen out during daylight hours. The name is believed to come from the way it “hawks” its prey on the wing.
You may wonder how a bird could catch so many insects while in flight. The key is the mouth which opens from ear to ear to look like a frogs when open. You would never guess that the mouth was so big if you saw it closed, for the beak itself is less than half an inch in length.
An adult nighthawk is about ten inches long with a disproportionate two foot wingspan.
The common nighthawk eats large numbers of insects each day. One nighthawk was found with 2,175 ants in its stomach, while another had 500 mosquitoes. It also drinks water while in flight. It will swoop down to skim the surface of a body of water.
A master of camouflage, the nighthawk’s plumage helps it to blend in with tree bark, dried fallen leaves or gravel. Nighthawks belong to the nightjar or goatsucker family of birds which also include the whip-poor-will. They are common to most of North America in the summertime, but migrate to the warmer climates of South America in the winter. The end of summer can be marked by the sight of nighthawks fattening themselves up. The long migration usually begins about the end of August and the beginning of September as they gather in large flocks.
Courtship is an interesting aspect of the nighthawk as the male tries to impress the watching female. From the height of 100 feet or more, the male plunges towards the ground until it comes to within a few feet of doom. It then suddenly turns upwards causing a loud “woof” sound as air rushes through the large primary feathers of the wings. This performance has earned the nighthawk the nickname of the booming nighthawk.
The hardest part of rehabilitating a nighthawk is balancing it’s diet. A variety of insects have to be collected along with supplements to keep the nighthawks diet as complete as possible. As spring approaches next year, keep an eye out for our friend the common nighthawk. He is an interesting bird to watch and hear.
The nine species of fox (genus Vulpes) are all part of the order Carnivora, or carnivores. This group contains most of the major predators, including the canines and felines. The Canids (family Canidae) includes not only the fox, but the wolves, the coyote, and the domestic dog.
The most widespread of all the foxes is the red fox. This small dog-like fox is rusty-reddish on the upper portion of the body with white under its chin, throat, and the rest of its body. The lower legs are black, as are the feet and the back of the ears. The one color characteristic which sets the red fox apart from all other species of fox is the white tip on the long bushy tail.
The adult red fox is only about fifteen inches at the shoulders and about thirty five to forty inches in length, not including the tail. The fox’s tail (about seventeen inches) is actually longer than the fox is tall. They usually weigh between eight and fifteen pounds. When you see a red fox, they may seem larger than they actually are due to their thick bushy fur.
The red fox has long thin canine teeth that help it to kill it’s prey by puncturing deeper than most canids could. These teeth wear down easily but are replaced with new layers of enamel each year. A foxes age can actually be determined by counting the growth rings of a cross-sectioned tooth, just as you would a tree. The fox has forty-two teeth (ten more than humans) to help them tear into their prey easier.
Although a foxes eyesight is very keen, they mostly depend upon their hearing and keen sense of smell. Their hearing is so sensitive that they could hear a mouse 150 yards away. A fox could locate a mouse, almost exactly, under deep snow just by hearing it.
The red fox doesn’t seem to have a preferred habitat, for it widely varies. They can be found in both wooded areas and cultivated lands or brushlands. They are extremely territorial and will mark their territories with scent. The territory of the red fox varies in size depending upon the availability of food. Urban foxes have a greater supply of food and therefore have smaller territories than a rural fox. The red fox is found in most of North America (except the west coast), northern South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.
The sounds that a red fox makes varies between a yapping, howling, barking, and growling. They use their sounds to claim their territory and to keep in touch with their mates.
The red fox is omnivorous. They will eat whatever is available to them at the time of year. In the summer they will eat a good deal of vegetation including corn, berries, apples, cherries, grapes, acorns, and grasses. The winter months will turn the fox’s diet to birds and mammals such as mice, rabbits, squirrels, and woodchucks. About 2/3 of the red fox’s diet consists of cottontail rabbits, meadow voles, and insects.
The red fox mates from January to early March and will sometimes fight other male (dog) foxes for a preferred female. Once a fox pairs with another this bond is usually lifelong. The gestation period lasts from fifty-one to fifty-three days. The average number of kits born is from four to eight, but can be as high as ten. The kits are born sometime between March and May in a maternity den. The kits only weigh about 1/4 pound and are a mere three inches long. They are born blind, deaf, and helpless. The vixen will stay with the kits continuously for up to two weeks. The dog fox will bring food back to the den for the vixen.
The Kits eyes open when they are ten days old. After six weeks they will cautiously venture out of the den to frolic in the open air. This is a dangerous time for the kits because they are easy prey due to their size. They could easily become a meal for a snowy owl, golden eagle, bobcat, wolves, coyote or other predator. The parents will be extremely careful to protect their kits during this young age.
The red fox is often difficult to observe because they are very sly and cunning, and because they are primarily nocturnal. They are very shy and nervous animals with little trust of humans. Scientists who have studied the fox consider him to be the most crafty in the wild. They have learned that the red fox is extremely clever.
Legends have been written about the crafty ways of the red fox. One story tells about a fox that was so ridden with fleas, he broke off a stick and carried it in his mouth to a nearby pond. The fox walked into the pond until the water was over his head, with just the stick poking out of the water. As the fox went into the water the fleas, trying to stay dry and alive, crawled up onto the stick. The fox dropped the stick and swam to shore, with no more fleas. Whether this is a true story or not, it is a good example of how the fox’s cleverness has been seen through our eyes.
The red fox has been the subject of many myths and legends. The fox has not however had a fairy tale history. For many years the red fox was hunted for sport, for its pelt, and as an unwanted predator.
The biggest threat to the red fox today is the expansion of civilization into the fox’s habitat. The red fox has at times had to adjust to urban existence. Living amongst humans, the fox has a smaller territory, yet is better fed year round. Scavenging has become a necessity for the urban fox.
The red fox has been adorned in paintings and produced in stories and movies for many years. Although he is extremely elusive the red fox would be recognized by most people. He has learned to survive by his cunning ways and ability to learn. I’m sure that the red fox will continue to delight people in many more stories to come.
The common Opossum, also known as the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is approximately the size of a house cat and can be found in most of the eastern United States and portions of the western coast. It is North America’s only marsupial or pouched mammal. There are 65 different sub-species of opossum, all but one of which is found in South America. The opossum is the only marsupial found outside Australia. Other marsupials include the Kangaroo, Wallaby and Koala.
The opossum can weigh between 4 and 12 pounds, is gray in color with an elongated snout, a pink nose, and naked black ears. The hair that covers most of the opossum's body is rather course to touch. They are very talented climbers and use their long naked tail to help them move around in the trees. Their tail is strong enough to support the weight of a young opossum for a good period of time, but will only support an adult for short periods. Another adaptation that helps this marsupial to climb trees is an opposable thumb on its rear feet. The opossum has the most teeth of any mammal, as you would know if you ever cornered one and were shown all 50 of them.
Opossums are primarily a nocturnal (active at night) animal. They will become more diurnal (active during the day) during colder weather when they must search for food more often. An opossum will often risk frostbite in the winter in order to find food. They do not hibernate, but will be inactive for short periods of time when the winter weather is extremely harsh.
The opossum will use a den which can be an abandoned hole made by another animal, hollow trees, logs or brush piles. Their home range, which can be 250 acres for an adult male, may have several dens within it for the opossums use. They will often build a nest at their dens out of leaves. The adult female will have a much smaller home range consisting of an average 125 acres.
The male opossum is primarily solitary, whereas the female will spend much of the year with her young. The young will start living on their own after three or more months depending upon the time of year they were born. If the young were born late in the year, they will spend the winter with their mother. The female opossum will usually have two litters per year consisting of 8 to 10 young. Birth takes place in a mere 13 days after mating. The young are only partially developed and will migrate to the mothers pouch where they will attach themselves to one of her 11 to 13 nipples for two months. Those that do not obtain a nipple will perish. At this living embryo age they are about the size of a penny. The young will emerge from the mothers pouch after two months and are weaned at the third month of age. The young often find the mothers back as a good source of transportation.
The opossum is omnivorous, which is to say they feed on both animal and vegetable substance. They are not picky about their diet which can consist of insects, earthworms, small mammals, fruits, grains, plants, and carrion (dead animals). When food becomes scarce in an area the animal will move to another area where the food is more plentiful. The habit of feeding on road kills is a major reason that opossums are hit by cars so often.
An opossum’s enemies include dogs, great horned owls, coyotes, and man. When threatened, The opossum will first try to flee up a tree or into a den. Because of its slow running speed it cannot always escape up a tree and often finds itself cornered. In such a situation the opossum will display a threatening posture with all 50 of its teeth showing, hissing and growling. If this does not deter the attacking threat, the opossum will lie very still as if dead, slow its breathing and salivate with its tongue hanging out. This coma-like state can last up to four hours.
The opossum has a high mortality rate at all stages of its life. Sources vary about the life expectancy of the opossum, between 3 to 7 years. Fewer than 10 percent live longer than one year. They are highly resistant to diseases (including rabies) and snake bites. Their biggest threat is humans, domestic pets, and cars. Opossums were once hunted extensively for their skins, but due to lack of value this practice is scarce these days.
The Eastern Screech Owl (Otus asio) is one of the 18 sub-species of screech owl in the world. We are most familiar with the Eastern, the Western and the Southern screech owls. The most common in Western New York is the gray-phased Eastern. We occasionally get the red-phased in Western New York, but usually only during the summer months. The gray Screech, although considered a migratory bird, will spend its winters in our area unless the weather becomes harsh and food becomes scarce. The Screech Owl is the smallest of the "eared" owls east of the Rockies weighing only 7.2 ounces on average with a wingspan of 22 inches. The female of the species is often about 15% heavier than the male and has a 3% longer wingspan.
This tiny owl is speckled with different shades of grays, making them easily concealed against a tree bark background. The ear tufts on the top of their heads are not truly ears, but are merely feathers used to communicate and for camouflage. They will begin to molt their soft plumage during late July and possibly through to October, but rarely later than this. Their soft plumage with a fluting of the ends of the flight feathers helps this night hunter to fly silently. If a screech owl was to fly by, you would not hear him coming until he was already past, even with their 5 wing beats per second.
The screech owl was a poor choice of names for this raptor, for his voice is far from a screeching noise, rather it is more of a muted trill that begins low and rises quickly. The female’s voice is usually of a higher pitch. They will often use their voices to communicate with their mates.
Otus asio is one of the more strictly nocturnal owls. Other owls will occasionally be seen during the daylight hours in search of food. The Screech Owl will do its hunting during the first four hours of nighttime. Being primarily omnivorous except for plants, their diet consists of small rodents, insects, amphibians, other birds, etc. They will rarely carry their prey in their talons after they catch it as other raptors do. They prefer to carry it in their beaks as long as it is small enough.
Owls depend upon their sight and hearing to locate their prey. Their eyes are convex in shape and do not move within the head. The pupils of the eyes will adjust rapidly to changes in light. Because the owls' eyes are stationary, they must rotate and tilt their heads to see around them. The myth that owls can turn their heads completely around is not true, for they can only turn their heads 280° in either direction. They turn it so fast at times that it may appear that their heads went completely around, but it is merely an illusion.
The screech owl’s preferred habitat is open woodlands adjacent to grain fields, and apple orchards. They like to roost in the hollows of trees. They mate for life and produce one brood per year. They often will use the same nest year after year, which is approximately 5 to 20 feet off the ground on average. The female will produce 4 to 6 eggs per brood with an incubation period of 26 to 28 days. The young will fly from the nest at an age of 4 to 5 weeks.
The Eastern Screech may be small but is known to be very courageous and audacious. It will not hesitate to attack a larger bird if it is motivated by hunger, brood protection, or self defense. The screech owls' enemies include habitat destruction, larger raptors, and some mammals. Its most deadly natural enemy is the Great Horned owl.
When asked to describe wildlife, one can use a variety of words such as intelligent, clever, and cunning, or you may hear such terms as fierce, graceful or cuddly . But it is only occasionally that an animal merits the use of all such adjectives and the raccoon is one of those animals. Procyon lotor is certainly an amazing creature. Native to North America , the raccoon’s habitat ranges from parts of Canada across most of the United States and into Central America. Absent only in the northern Rockies raccoons will survive in all types of terrain and climates. They also can be found and even thrive near large metropolitan areas. Raccoons are a singular species distantly related to the giant pandas of China and coatimundis of tropical regions. They are a compact muscular mammal that reach a length of 2 to 3 feet including the tail that is anywhere from 8-16 inches long. They may attain a weight of close to 45 pounds and can survive more than 10 years in the wild. The raccoon’s coat is of thick medium length fur and is brownish-gray in color. The face is marked by black cheek patches which give the "coon" a masked appearance while the tail is marked with 7 or 8 dark gray rings. A remarkable feature of raccoons are the paws which have five long and very nimble toes topped by short claws. These adaptive paws aid the coon to climb trees with great ease and are so dexterous they are known to be able to open door latches and even remove the lids from jars as many campers will attest to. The raccoon diet consists of… well, anything, but mainly frogs, crayfish, insects and birds' eggs. They will hunt mice and small birds and will eat berries, nuts and corn. As the Latin name lotor (one who washes) implies, the raccoon has a curious habit of dipping their food into water before eating . It is theorized that raccoons do this to moisten food and remove grit and sand from it. The common name Raccoon is derived from the Native A55merican word arakun (scratches with hands).
Raccoons prefer to live in trees near a water source such as a pond or stream. Hollow trees provide den spaces where raccoons birth and raise their litter. Young raccoons, called kits, are generally born in the spring and stay with the mother through the first winter then leave to assume the solitary lifestyle coons prefer. Although raccoons are mostly active at night they are not totally nocturnal. Raccoons do come out during daylight hours. They do not hibernate through the winter. Coons in the warmer regions are active year round while the northern population will sleep in their dens surviving on body fat and emerging every so often to forage for food on more temperate days. Although the raccoon presents with a cute and cuddly appearance, they are very tough fighters and have a temperament to match. They are a very durable animal and despite heavy hunting for centuries their numbers remain very strong. The raccoon has only a few natural predators that include cougars, large raptors, bobcats, domestic dogs, and motor vehicles.
Raccoons are very courageous and often too curious, which brings many encounters with humans that may lead to dangerous confrontations for both. Unfortunately coons are common carriers (vector species) of the rabies virus and all to often people will react quickly to dispose of the animal before assessing the situation because of this. Many misconceptions about raccoons lead to unnecessary extermination. Please keep in mind that a coon out in daylight does not mean they are ill. If a coon is approaching to closely to populated areas, remember that they thrive near us and they are accustomed to learning that people mean handouts which is why no wild animal should be fed because we put them in great danger by doing so. Sometimes these animals venture into our garages, barns, or even basements. The animal may only be searching for a meal or a cozy den site. In such cases, a Conservation Officer or Wildlife Rehabilitator should be contacted. In most cases if an exit is provided the animal will leave as soon as it satisfies its curiosity. If erratic behavior is displayed the animal must be contained and the wildlife experts should be notified. Observing wildlife should be enjoyed by all, but from a distance. If a better understanding of nature and its creatures is obtained then we can insure this pleasure for all time.
In late spring, with the flowers in full bloom, the humming bird returns to our area after wintering many miles south in Central America. Flying more then 1800 miles including a 600 mile stretch over the Gulf of Mexico, the humming bird arrives here to nest and breed throughout the spring and summer months. There are over 300 species of humming birds native to the western hemisphere with only about two dozen varieties found in the United States. Of these only one, the ruby throated humming bird (Archilochrus colubris) is know to nest east of the Mississippi.
The humming bird family, (Trochilidae) contain the smallest species of birds in the world, the tiniest being the bee humming bird of Cuba which is a little more than 2 inches long weighing in at .07 of an ounce. Our native humming bird, the ruby throat is compared at about 4 inches and weighing 1/10 of an ounce with a 5 inch wing span. All humming birds have a unique flying ability which includes hovering and backward flying, the wings beating at 90 to 200 wing beats a minute which produces a thrumming sound from which the common name is derived. Most humming birds are iridescently colored, our ruby throat being a rich metallic green color with the males supporting bright red throat patches on either side. Their call is a loud, short, repetitive chirp. In the spring the males arrive first to establish territories that each one will defend fiercely. The females then arrive and as with most species of bird a courtship ritual begins. The male flies swiftly back and forth in a perfect arc to catch the attentions of the females.
After courtship and mating the female builds a nest, usually in the higher tree tops out of lichens, leaf, bark and bonded tightly into a small cup shape using spider webbing. A clutch of 1 to 2 small white eggs are laid which are incubated by the female for up to 16 days. The male does not assist with rearing of the young and may seek out another mate. The female feeds the young on a diet of nectar and insects until the young fledge at about 23 days, then she may go and start another brood in the same season.
Due to the incredible speed of the beating wings and amount of energy expended, humming birds feed mainly on the nectar of flowers, drawing the high energy nectar out of the blooms with long bills and tongues. The agile flying ability allows them to hover over the flower and back up from it when obtaining the flowers yield. They may also take small insects and spiders as a supplement. Humming birds must take up to twice its body weight in food daily. While feeding, the humming bird flits from flower to flower gathering pollens on their heads and bills and depositing them on other blooms, thus pollinating plants much the same way bees do. Humming birds seem to prefer red blooms but have been know to visit up to 30 different varieties of flower including petunias, lilacs, honeysuckle and nasturtiums. Many people hang sugar water in red containers to attract the small birds as they are a joy to watch.
Humming birds are not currently endangered and thriving very well. Some natural predators are crows, preying mantis, frogs and some larger spiders. The other common humming bird in the U.S. residing west of the Mississippi is the Rufous humming bird and, although very rarely, may be seen in our area. The male is reddish-brown with a yellow metallic sheen above and white below. It’s throat patch is reddish bronze. The bird is about the same size as the ruby throat.
On a cool autumn evening, you feel a chill throughout your body as you hear the haunting sound of a lone wolf howling. That eerie sound is followed by a chorus of more hungry wolves as they get ready to pounce upon their prey from within the shadows. This is the sort of picture that many people have had of wolves throughout history. The demon wolf waiting to kill unsuspecting humans. In truth, there has never been a reported attack on a human by a healthy wolf.
The wolf (Canis lupus) has received a bad reputation because they are predators and were seen as violent killers of livestock. Ever since humans settled in America we have tried to eradicate the wolf from our borders. In 1919 the federal government joined the efforts to rid our wilderness of this nuisance. By 1942 when the government ceased it’s war on the wolf, almost 25,000 wolves had been destroyed by government paid hunters and the population was dangerously low. The pressures to eliminate the wolf came mostly from ranchers who lost livestock to Canis lupus. With more research being done about the wolf we have learned that this efficient carnivore is an important part of the ecosystem that they have been eliminated from.
The wolf, often referred to as the gray wolf because of the most common color, is a close relative of the jackal, fox, and our friend and companion, the domestic dog. It is believed that our domestic dog is a descendant of the wolf. The wolf is larger than a dog, but shares many of the same physical and behavioral characteristics.
The wolf lives in a very orderly group called a pack. The pack consists of 6 to 7 members, but can be as many as 25, with the eldest or dominant male and his mate at the top of the hierarchy. This pair is known as the alpha male and alpha female. The alpha female is the only pack member allowed to bear young into the pack once per year. Below the alpha wolves, are the remainder of the pack having their own hierarchy. These lower wolves are usually the offspring of the alpha pair, and may eventually leave the pack solitarily to start their own pack with a female from another group.
The pack is an important part of the lives of the social wolf. The entire pack raises the young together, socializes together, and hunts together. The wolf will hunt small mammals alone or deer, caribou, and moose as a team. They usually will attack from several directions and will go for the weak or young animals. This not only makes it easier for the wolves to catch their prey, but it helps the prey species by keeping the population to a sustainable size and eliminating weak attributes from the species. When food is scarce, the wolf can go for two weeks without eating. They often gorge themselves with up to 20 pounds of meat at one time for an adult.
The gray wolf depends upon its keen senses to find prey in the wild. If the wind is right a wolf can smell prey that is 1½ miles away. Their senses are so keen that they can locate a mouse under the snow. A wolf can hear the howling of another wolf that is 3 to 4 miles away. The howling of a wolf is generally a form of communication to let the pack know location, hunting time, or to warn other packs to stay away, for the wolf is territorial.
The gray wolf is now listed as an endangered species in most states. Several wolves were recently released into Yellowstone National Park after years of debate and controversy. The western ranchers still see this beautiful creature as a threat to their way of life. Hopefully the wolves will return naturally to much of their previous range to balance out the ecosystem. Maybe in the near future we will be able to hear the call of Canis lupus back in the wild where he belongs.
Cowboys sitting around the campfire, preparing to bed down after a meal of steak and beans, a few songs strummed on a guitar, and in the background, a shadowy figure sits upon a bluff, pointed nose arched towards the moon and sounds its bittersweet mournful call… this scenario depicts the most common motif that truly romanticizes the old west.
The shadowy figure is of course the coyote, the common name for the carnivore that is closely related to the wolf and dog family. The name coyote is derived from the Aztec word coyotl. The Latin name is canis latrans which translates into “barking dog.” While being a trademark symbol of the southwest, the versatile "prairie wolf” has expanded his range in recent years. So successful a survivalist, this remarkable animal has adapted to live in any type of terrain and/or climate, rural or urban environments and is found in all of the United States except Hawaii, despite heavy campaigns to irradicate the coyote as vermin. Believing coyotes are responsible for destroying livestock as well as a want for sport, hunting, trapping and poison bait tactics have been used but have failed to eliminate them. In fact, they are flourishing well. Nature has truly developed a perfect animal of survival.
The coyote resembles both the wolf and many breeds of dog such as German Shepherds. However they are smaller than either. Coyotes vary in size themselves. The mountain and Eastern forest coyotes tend to be grayish in color as compared to the rust-red color of the Southwest type. Also, our forest coyotes are heavier, weighing up to 50 Ibs., while their desert kin commonly stay at 20 Ibs. They share a common height of 1 to 2 feet tall and are 2.5 to 3.5 feet long with a tail of 12-16 inches. They also share the elongated ears and pointed snout, long legs and a black tip at the end of their bushy tail. They all have a keen sense of smell, hearing and vision. They are wary, sly and very intelligent. Their well known call consisting of a mournful howl with high pitched yips gives them their Latin name. They are curious and playful and may even entice domestic dogs into play.
Coyotes are omnivorous. They may eat nuts and berries, vegetation, small mammals such as rabbits and mice, birds, eggs and carrion, although they may feed on livestock, especially sheep. It is found that when witnessed feeding on sheep, studies show that in many cases, the animal was already dead from natural causes or another predator.
Coyotes are thought to mate for life. They may be a solitary animal or may associate in "loose" packs that lack the well orchestrated hierarchy of wolf packs. Most often seen in pairs, mating occurs once per year between January and March. A litter of 2 to 10 pups is common. Both parents help raise the litter. Coyotes may dig their own dens or will enhance an old badger hole or natural shelter such as a hollow log or small cave.
Pups stay in the den for 6 to 10 weeks, feed on mother's milk and regurgitated meat after weaning. The family usually stays together throughout the summer, passing on hunting skills until the pups venture out on their own, establishing their own territories. A coyote’s range is not usually larger than 10 to 12 square miles and grown pups tend to stay near their birth range. Their only known enemies are humans and domestic dogs. However, distemper (no real threat to humans) takes a toll on coyote populations. Coyotes are most active at night, but are not nocturnal. They will hunt and forage during daylight hours, especially in winter when food sources are small. They do not hibernate.
Coyote numbers are still on the increase and here in Western New York sightings are becoming commonplace. Due to their shyness, they are usually heard and not seen. So on any night if you're out in rural areas, especially in the fall, pause to listen and you may be fortunate to relive some of the Old West, hearing the coyote sing his desert song.
Could you imagine living under the dark cold ground for most of your life? Forever digging through the earth in search for food. Well this is exactly how moles live. In the north-eastern part of the United States, there is a very interesting mole known as the star-nosed mole. What makes this 6-8 inch long, 1-3 ounce mammal so different from his fellow earth dwellers is the 22 pink fleshy projections on his nose which look like the tentacles of an octopus. These pink feelers are extremely mobile and sensitive, and are used to help the mole locate food and directions.
Some scientists believe that the nose sensors may give the star-nosed mole the keenest sense of touch of any animal. High speed videos have shown that the tentacles can touch ten different objects in a mere second. As soon as they sense a food source such as a worm, they snatch it up in a heartbeat. What makes the star so sensitive is that it is covered with little bumps known as Eimer’s organs which contain a cluster of nerves. Other species of moles have these Eimer’s organs but have only 2,000 compared to the 25,000 of the star-nosed mole.
With such a sensitive nose, it would seem that the star-nosed mole would damage its tentacles from all the digging that they do. Evolution has taken care of this problem by putting this poor sighted critter in a wet ecosystem. Unlike other moles, this is the only mole found in the soft muddy soil of wetlands. Living in such a wet environment has made this mole a very good swimmer and diver. Even in the winter months, this mouse-sized mammal can be found swimming across ponds and streams.
With large front paws, the star-nosed mole can dig his burrows at a speed of one foot per minute. They are active both during the day and night, all year round. Being among the most subterranean of mammals, they have a poorly developed sense of sight, yet their hearing is well developed. They are quiet diggers and could be digging a burrow right behind your lawn chair without you ever knowing it. So the next time you’re walking near a wetland, be careful where you step. You never know what interesting lives are below.
Every spring, one of the first birds to flock to my lawn is the European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris). And when I say flock, I mean FLOCK. They seem to appear by the hundreds, pecking at the ground in search for grubs and other insects. When the sun is bright in the sky they seem to have a glistening to their speckled black bodies.
Mentioned by Shakespeare in King Henry the Fourth, the starling became a
candidate for release by a group who vowed to bring every bird mentioned by the famed
author into the United States. During 1890 one hundred starlings were released in Central
Park in New York city. Unknowing whether they would survive here, they soon learned that
this species could survive in a variety of 
habitats.
They were quite adaptable and soon their numbers soared.
Today the starling can be found across the United States and into Canada and Mexico. It is a very aggressive species that is well known for "shoving" native birds out of their territories. They have been seen raiding other songbirds nests, destroying the eggs they find. They have a voracious appetite and can destroy a farmers crop when they congregate in large flocks. Because of these facts, many a farmer, birder, and other nature enthusiasts have found a hatred for the starling.
The European starling is a rather vocal bird and will mimic the songs and sounds of other birds, mammals, and even humans. They have been taught to mimic human speech. When the starling roosts in large groups (sometimes in the thousands) they can create quite a racket.
Despite their downfalls, the starling is adored by a few who appreciate its appetite for pest insects, and its beauty. Being one of the few species that is not protected by law, some starlings have found their way into peoples homes as pets. We at Wild Spirit do not advise this however, for they can be aggressive and they do make quite a mess. We advise that you just enjoy watching them in your yards, for they are a pretty bird.
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