Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Behavior

• The black-backed woodpecker flak off the bark of dead trees to search for insects.
• Both male and female woodpeckers indulge in the excavation.

Mating and Reproduction

Either by emitting some harsh calls or some courtship gestures, the male and female woodpeckers mates. Next step is to make a nest at 20-15 in off the ground, on dead pine or spruce. This is mostly done by the male as the female gets ready for laying around 3-6 white eggs in the nest. The incubation period lasts for 12-14 days. It is a shared duty by both the parents and males are mostly incubating at night. The breed once in a year.

Life-cycle

Young hatchlings are fed by their parents with male woodpeckers fly out to collect food away from the nest. They might undertake several trips for gathering food for their offspring. The juveniles woodpeckers need around 25 days to fledge.

Interesting Fact

• The black-backed woodpecker has three-toed feet.

References

1. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/black-backed-woodpecker
2. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-backed_Woodpecker/id
3. https://www.borealbirds.org/bird/black-backed-woodpecker
4. https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=ABNYF07090
5. https://www.sierraforestlegacy.org/FC_SierraNevadaWildlifeRisk/Black-backedWoodpecker.php
6. https://bwdmagazine.com/learn/black-backed-woodpecker/

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Behavior

• The bird stays in flocks during their migration and foraging.
• By flapping its wings, the bohemian waxwing often hovers from one perch to another, rarely walking on the ground.
• It takes a bath in gathered water due to rain and scratches its head by keeping its foot on its extended wings.
• Male waxwings are protective about their mates and often threaten other males who are trying to snatch their mates.

Mating and Reproduction

Winter is the season when two potential mates meet each other and through a brief period of courtship, they mate from March to April or from May to June. The courtship session includes hopping and feeding. Perched at top, facing each other, the couple starts to hop towards each other until they touch each other’s beak with an exchange of food or other objects. After successful mating, the female lays around 4-6 glossy black dotted eggs with light blue and gray shades. The incubation period is usually 13-14 days and is done by the female waxwing.

Life-cycle

The hatchlings are incapable to move on their own. They are fed insects or fruits by both of their parents. It takes 14-16 days for them to fledge.

Interesting Facts

• The female waxwing prefers males with more waxy wings.
• The Swedish botanist, Carl Linnaeus, rightly called the father of modern taxonomy described the species for the first time in 1758 as Lanius Garrulus but later in 1808, ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot moved the species to the genus Bombycilla.
• For birdwatchers, this is a popular species to look for.

References

• https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bohemian_Waxwing/id
• https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/bohemian-waxwing
• https://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-bohemian-waxwing.html
• http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-bohemian-waxwing.html

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Interesting Facts

• Its scientific name ‘abies’ means ‘fir-like’ in Latin.
• Old Tjikko, a clone of Norway spruce is believed to be 9, 550 years old, being the oldest living tree in the world.
• The number of the tree’s synonym crosses 150.
• Siberian spruce is known to be its subspecies but scientists are researching about it as the two trees are extremely similar.

References

1. https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/trees/plants/nor_spruce.html
2. https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/tree_fact_sheets/picabia.pdf
3. https://www.weekand.com/home-garden/article/spruce-tree-reproduction-seeds-18035285.php
4. https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/norway-spruce/

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Scientific Information

Behavior

• Except for babies and their mothers, these squirrels are solitary.
• They prefer abandoned nests of woodpeckers and other birds.
• Douglas squirrels are diurnal.
• In order to protect their territory, the squirrels produce a large alarming call to ward off other animals.

Mating and Reproduction

The mating season starts from February and last till August but most mating occurs between March to June. Female squirrels give birth to litters, each containing 4-6 kittens.

Life Cycle

Young squirrels are born blind and they do not have any fur on them. They weigh 13-18 g (0.4-0.6 oz). They start growing fur when they are around 18 days and start opening their eyes during 26-36 days. The mother starts weaning them when they are 6-9 weeks old and it continues for more 3 months. During 4-6 months of age, they become young but stay with their families. They become adult attaining sexual maturity when they reach 8-9 months.

Interesting Facts

• While communicating with other closely-related species, the squirrels use their tail as a flag.
• They keep on chewing things, especially twigs to sharpen and trim their teeth.

References

1. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Tamiasciurus_douglasii/#lifespan_longevity
2. https://animalia.bio/douglas-squirrel
3. http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/douglassquirrel.htm/
4. http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/douglas_squirrel_712.html
5. https://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Rodentia/Sciuridae/Tamiasciurus/Tamiasciurus-douglasii.html

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Behavior

• These territorial birds either stay in pairs or alone
• They fly with low wingbeats and little glides
• The northern goshawks usually sit on high perches, watching over their preys and then suddenly attack them

Mating and Reproduction

The supposedly monogamous bird, displays amazing flights and indulges in proper vocalization during the mating and nesting season. Both the male and female make nests for the arrival of their babies with barks and sticks. The female northern goshawks lay 2-5 eggs. Initially, the eggs look bluish but that changes to off-white. Females incubate them for 35-42 days and sometimes males help in the process. Usually, male goshawks during this phase take care of the family, from gathering foods to protecting the female and unborns or newborns.

Life-cycle

After a successful hatching, juvenile goshawks stay with their mother for 5-6 weeks more. After that, they try flying by short flight and keep on trying until they become able to take long flights. Even after learning how to fly, young and sub-adult birds stay with their parents for a few weeks more. Within 10-12 weeks, they become completely independent of their parents and by this time, they turn into predators and birds of prey. However, some birds, stay with their parents for around 1 year. The sexual maturity of northern goshawks is achieved at 1-2 years.

Interesting Fact

• The genus name being “Accipiter”, meaning “hawk”, has come from the word “Accipere” meaning “to grasp” and the Latin name “gentilis” means “gentle” or “noble”. The bird used to be allowed for falconry to people with noble heredity only.

References

1. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Goshawk/id
2. https://wildernessclassroom.org/wilderness-library/northern-goshawk/
3. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/northern-goshawk
4. https://www.peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/Northern_Goshawk
5. https://nhpbs.org/wild/northerngoshawk.asp
6. https://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-northern-goshawk.html

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Behavior

• Adult males or bighorn sheep stay in small groups of 2-5 without any female or ewes, and juveniles. On the other hand, females and juveniles form groups having 5-15 members.

Mating and Reproduction

The period between November to December, being their mating season is known as ‘rut’ and prior to this phase, male bighorns compete with each other in order to allure females. The competition includes horn clashing. With a speed of around 20 mph and a possibility to last for an entire day, the fight gets the superior or winner male who mates finally. Post-mating, the gestation period lasts for 506 months and female bighorns give birth to 1 lamb.

Life-cycle

Newborn lambs are covered with light or pale, soft woolly coats and little horn buds. It takes 1 day to walk and subsequently climb, post birth. They spend the 1^st year of their life with their mothers. Mostly, bighorns get matured around 2.5 years of age.

Interesting Facts

• Besides males, female bighorns can also fight for establishing superiority. Their horn fights are so intense that when two bighorns crash with each other, the sound is audible from miles away.
• The Rocky Mountain bighorn is the largest species of wild sheep of the entire North America.

References

1. https://defenders.org/bighorn-sheep/basic-facts
2. http://naturemappingfoundation.org/natmap/facts/bighorn_sheep_k6.html
3. https://www.nps.gov/romo/learn/nature/bighorn_sheep.htm
4. https://bighorn.org/about-bighorns/

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Scientific Name

Quick Information

Behavior

• The snake has a docile deportment and typically won’t become aggressive unless threatened.
• The snake constricts its prey until they suffocate to death.

Mating & Reproduction

 From late April to May (spring season), the snakes mate. Being an oviparous species, the female snake lays 4-18 eggs either in June or July. Eggs are creamy-white in color, often laid inside deep burrows.

Life-cycle

Hatchlings emerge from the eggs around September, each sizing 4-8 inches. They have an egg tooth that helps them break the hard exterior of the egg. Their sexual maturity is attained at the age of 3 or 4 years.

Interesting Facts

• The species is once thought to be an intergrade (meaning sharing the same locality with another species, and having some common physical attributes) with scarlet kingsnake, but the theory doesn’t stand anywhere.

References

1. https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/reptiles/snakes/eastern-milksnake/index.php
2. https://reptilesmagazine.com/listings/snakes-care-sheets/eastern-milk-snake/
3. http://herpsofnc.org/eastern-milksnake/
4. https://kysnakes.ca.uky.edu/snake/lampropeltis-triangulum
5. https://www.maine.gov/ifw/fish-wildlife/wildlife/species-information/reptiles-amphibians/eastern-milksnake.html
6. http://wildlifeofct.com/eastern%20milksnake.html

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Behavior

• Male ovenbirds are extremely territorial
• The birds are solitary during the winter migration
• They have a certain pattern of hopping, dashing and foraging

Mating and Reproduction

Male and female ovenbirds choose either mixed or deciduous forests for their mating when after a brief courtship, the female bird builds an oven-shaped nest with leaves, bark, stems, and hairs. The location of the nest is 60-70 ft interior from the border of the forest. The female lays 3-6 eggs per brood. Sizing around 0.9 in (each egg) and white in color with some reddish-brown spots. All eggs are incubated for 11-14 days.

Life-cycle

Young hatchlings are born with eyes closed and covered in brown colored down. Both their parents feed them. They young ones take their first flights after 8-11 days of birth.

Interesting Facts

• The famous poet Robert Frost has a poem named after the bird “ The Oven Bird”.
• The well known American poet Robert Bly also used the reference of the bird by mentioning “The Nimble Oven Bird”, in his poem known as “The Slim Fir Seeds”.
• The genus name  Seiurus is a combination of two Greek words like “SEIO” and “Oura”. These two words mean ‘to shake’ and ‘ tail’ respectably. The scientific name Aurocapilla means ‘golden hairs’ in Latin.

References

1. https://bwdmagazine.com/learn/identification/ovenbird/
2. https://abcbirds.org/bird/ovenbird/
3. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Ovenbird/lifehistory#
4. https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/ovenbi1/cur/introduction

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Interesting Facts

• The world’s tallest living tree is a Californian Redwood, named Hyperion and the height is 380.1 ft.
• This is one of the state trees of the American state, California.
• This species is the only one belonging to the genus Sequoia.

References

1. https://www.conifers.org/cu/Sequoia.php
2. https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=1079
3. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/coast-redwood.htm
4. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/sequoia-sempervirens/

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Behavior

• In the morning, the snake warms itself up by basking in the Sun and then starts looking for preys. But if it’s too hot outside, then the snake prefers to stay inside a shelter.
•  The snake uses the same hibernation spot every year.

Mating and Reproduction

Female snakes use pheromone to communicate with male snakes for mating. Their common breeding season is spring but they mate in the falls as well. When the temperature starts to rise they mate and females leave the den or the mating spot soon after and males stay back at the spot to continue mating with other female snakes. The eggs are hatched inside the female snake’s body and 8-12 live young ones are born.

Life-cycle

Right from the birth, the young western garter snakes are on their own and there is no parental care involved. They start looking for food and often become aggressive in order to survive. Both male and female snakes attain sexual maturity around the age of 1.5 years.

Interesting Fact

• The snake species also has melanistic variations.

References

1. https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Thamnophis_elegans/#reproduction
2. https://digitalatlas.cose.isu.edu/bio/reptile/serp/thel/thelfram.htm
3. https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/28398-Thamnophis-elegans
4. https://bcreptilesandamphibians.trubox.ca/western-terrestrial-garter-snake/

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Quick Information

Interesting Fact

• The species has been crossed with Great Basin Bristlecone Pine.

References

1. https://www.conifers.org/pi/Pinus_balfouriana.php
2. https://www.fs.usda.gov/database/feis/plants/tree/pinbal/all.html
3. https://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/501–pinus-balfouriana
4. https://www.michaelkauffmann.net/2014/07/mount-linn/

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Scientific Classification

Quick Information

Behavior

• While migrating to the south for the winter season, the entire flock makes a shape of v in the sky.
• Their roosting time is during the night being afloat.
• They have the capacity to sleep while swimming.

Mating and Reproduction

Post winter, snow geese return to the north and adult ones look for mates. They try to find their counterparts similar to their parents’ coloration, although this is not the case always. Nesting is typically observed at the end of May. Females lay 2-6 eggs followed by an incubation period of 22-25 days.

Life-cycle

Hatchlings are usually covered with down and their eyes are open. They become able to eat and swim without any help within 24 hours of birth and after 42-50 days, they start flying. Despite their ability, they are supervised and kept under the protection of their parents for another 2-3 years.

Interesting Facts

• Previously, the two morphs, white and blue were considered different species.
• Due to their overpopulation at some places, they have become the reason of the destruction of their own habitat.
• They fly so high during the migration that it becomes difficult to spot them.

References

1. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/snow-goose
2. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snow_Goose/lifehistory
3. https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/snow-goose
4. https://www.britannica.com/animal/snow-goose

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