The Red Wolf:
The red wolf once populated most of the southeastern U.S. It was finally reduced to about 100 wolves along coastal Texas and Louisiana. These were intermingled by coyote genes as a result of interbreeding. The coyote was much more plentiful.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service stepped in and initiated a recovery program to prevent the species' extinction. They caught the remaining wolves in the wild and captive bred for reintroduction.
Now a wild population of about 40 red wolves is being established with lots of setbacks in eastern North Carolina.
The Gray Wolf:
The gray wolf used to range over most of North America. There a few wild wolves inhabiting North Dakota, South Dakota, central Idaho, Wyoming, and northern Washington. The most significant populations include: Northern Minnesota with about 2,000; Michigan and Wisconsin with around 110; Montana with some 60-70; and Western Mexico with from 0-10.
The gray wolf as a species is made up of various subspecies. Recovery is focusing on the eastern timber wolf, the Mexican wolf, and the northern Rocky Mountain wolf.
The Mexican Wolf:
The Mexican Wolf was once native to the southwestern portion of the U.S. However, it has been extinct in that region since the mid-1900s. Now a captive population is managed by 13 private breeding facilities in conjunction with the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program of the USFWS.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
Did you know? (Bird migration facts)
Billions of birds seasonally undertake the perilous journey of migration.
It is difficult to visualize a Swainson's Hawk, weighing only about two pounds, migrating from its breeding site on the Saskatchewan prairies to wintering ground in southern Argentina.
Equally amazing is a semipalmated sandpiper, weighing only an ounce, migrating from the Canadian Tundra to northern South America.
It is hard to believe a Ruby Throated Hummingbird, weighing only 1/6 ounce, flying from its nesting area in New Hampshire to wintering grounds in Costa Rica.
Migration is not just the seasonal movement of birds during spring and fall to avoid harsh weather. This is just part of the story.
Migration evolved as a way for animals to exploit resources that are seasonally abundant and to avoid times or places where life sustaining resources are scarce.
Many species can tolerate cold temperatures if food remains plentiful. However, if it is not available, the birds must migrate. The availability of food is the driving force in the evolution of migration patterns.
To fly long distances a bird must carry plenty of fuel. Fat is the currency of migration because it provides the greatest amount of energy per unit of weight. The more fat a bird has the farther it can fly. Fat is indispensable. Without it, a migrant cannot fly or survive long periods of inclement weather.
Birds are extremely sensitive to weather and atmospheric patterns. They purposefully select times and altitudes with the best wind directions and the best wind speeds.
The majority of birds migrate at night. However, hawks make their seasonal moves during day time hunting in the late afternoons.
More birds are active during migration at night due to internal clocks, ecology, endocrinology, neurobiology, physiology and evolution according to researchers. Actually, very little is known about the intricacies of migration.
Migratory flight is a result of an infinite number of decisions. To complete it successfully, birds must make many decisions and all must be correct ones. Such decisions include: what time of day or night to fly; what speed to travel; how high to fly; which direction to fly; and where to land.
Migration continues to intrigue scientists, and they continue to study the subject finding out more each year.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
It is difficult to visualize a Swainson's Hawk, weighing only about two pounds, migrating from its breeding site on the Saskatchewan prairies to wintering ground in southern Argentina.
Equally amazing is a semipalmated sandpiper, weighing only an ounce, migrating from the Canadian Tundra to northern South America.
It is hard to believe a Ruby Throated Hummingbird, weighing only 1/6 ounce, flying from its nesting area in New Hampshire to wintering grounds in Costa Rica.
Migration is not just the seasonal movement of birds during spring and fall to avoid harsh weather. This is just part of the story.
Migration evolved as a way for animals to exploit resources that are seasonally abundant and to avoid times or places where life sustaining resources are scarce.
Many species can tolerate cold temperatures if food remains plentiful. However, if it is not available, the birds must migrate. The availability of food is the driving force in the evolution of migration patterns.
To fly long distances a bird must carry plenty of fuel. Fat is the currency of migration because it provides the greatest amount of energy per unit of weight. The more fat a bird has the farther it can fly. Fat is indispensable. Without it, a migrant cannot fly or survive long periods of inclement weather.
Birds are extremely sensitive to weather and atmospheric patterns. They purposefully select times and altitudes with the best wind directions and the best wind speeds.
The majority of birds migrate at night. However, hawks make their seasonal moves during day time hunting in the late afternoons.
More birds are active during migration at night due to internal clocks, ecology, endocrinology, neurobiology, physiology and evolution according to researchers. Actually, very little is known about the intricacies of migration.
Migratory flight is a result of an infinite number of decisions. To complete it successfully, birds must make many decisions and all must be correct ones. Such decisions include: what time of day or night to fly; what speed to travel; how high to fly; which direction to fly; and where to land.
Migration continues to intrigue scientists, and they continue to study the subject finding out more each year.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
No need to stop feeding suet in warm weather
This is one of the best year 'round suet recipes that the North American Wildlife Health Care Center uses. This is the 10th year that we will be feeding our fall and winter visitors this treat. The Center keeps it out every day of the year.
1 cup creamy peanut butter, or crunchy. The less expensive the peanut butter, the fewer preservatives in it.
2 cups minute oats
2 cups white or yellow cornmeal
1 cup mixed bird seeds
1 cup white flour
1 cup lard (do not use oils of any other kind.)
1/2 cup raisins
2 to 3 very over-ripe bananas
Mix all the ingredients together. If you wish to make into cakes, melt the lard and peanut butter, and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into freezer containers 1 1/2 inches thick. Allow to cool, and then cut it into cakes. It stores well in the freezer.
You do not have to melt and freeze. You can mix the ingredients together and pick a rough bark tree and rub it on it. The birds love it this way.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization
1 cup creamy peanut butter, or crunchy. The less expensive the peanut butter, the fewer preservatives in it.
2 cups minute oats
2 cups white or yellow cornmeal
1 cup mixed bird seeds
1 cup white flour
1 cup lard (do not use oils of any other kind.)
1/2 cup raisins
2 to 3 very over-ripe bananas
Mix all the ingredients together. If you wish to make into cakes, melt the lard and peanut butter, and then stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into freezer containers 1 1/2 inches thick. Allow to cool, and then cut it into cakes. It stores well in the freezer.
You do not have to melt and freeze. You can mix the ingredients together and pick a rough bark tree and rub it on it. The birds love it this way.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization
Now is the time to plant a snag for wildlife
Ghost trees are what bird lovers call snags. They are dead trees. They are immensely important to wildlife, and are becoming more scarce each day.
Primary cavity-nesters, such as woodpeckers, chisel nest cavities in them and search for insects. Bluebirds, titmice, wren, screech owls and kestrels enjoy nesting in old woodpecker holes. Deer mice, flying squirrels, tree frogs, arboreal snakes and lizards and invertebrates too numerous to mention enjoy the cavities also.
Other birds, not cavity nesters, use snags to launch territorial attacks. The phoebe is one such bird. Vultures enjoy using them for sunning, and hawks nest in the tops of snags.
Many songbirds such as Cardinals, Indigo Buntings and Bluebirds sing from the tops of snags to announce their territories and to attract a mate.
It is not uncommon for one snag to house several different species at different levels. Screech owls and hawks take the top of a snag for a nesting site, while woodpeckers such as the Pileated will choose to excavate a nest about 60 feet up, and squirrels will nest about half way down in a hollow tree.
House wrens favor holes in snags to raise their young also. A dead tree literally teems with life until natural decay takes the final toll and drops the snag to the forest floor where it continues to contribute to the ecosystem. A snag may stand some 30 or more years before it topples.
Dead trees provide a unique life support system for some 85 species of birds in North America. Some 50 mammals use dead trees for dens and nurseries, and innumerable invertebrate find cozy niches in them.
Usually it is the woodpeckers that claim a snag as home. This is why they are labeled primary snag nesters. Other species use their old nests in following years becoming secondary snag nesters. Each year woodpeckers chisel out new nests never going back and using an old nest site which probably has already been claimed by another species.
Screech, saw whet and pygmy owls, house wrens, tree and violet-green swallows, kestrels, bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, wood ducks, hooded mergansers, goldeneyes, and buffleheads are secondary nesters using old woodpecker holes.
The large snags are choice ones. The pileated woodpeckers, barred owls and tree-nesting ducks cannot fit into the smaller snags. The large ones offer a wide choice of safe nests. High in a tall snag, it is difficult for predators to reach a nest. It is the big snags that are vanishing from the forests at an alarming rate.
Adding a snag to your back-yard bird feeding station will add interest, attract species that you may not have now, and help cavity nesters. Of course, when you start planting dead trees in your back yard, your neighbors may tend to look the other way as they whisper about your sanity.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
Primary cavity-nesters, such as woodpeckers, chisel nest cavities in them and search for insects. Bluebirds, titmice, wren, screech owls and kestrels enjoy nesting in old woodpecker holes. Deer mice, flying squirrels, tree frogs, arboreal snakes and lizards and invertebrates too numerous to mention enjoy the cavities also.
Other birds, not cavity nesters, use snags to launch territorial attacks. The phoebe is one such bird. Vultures enjoy using them for sunning, and hawks nest in the tops of snags.
Many songbirds such as Cardinals, Indigo Buntings and Bluebirds sing from the tops of snags to announce their territories and to attract a mate.
It is not uncommon for one snag to house several different species at different levels. Screech owls and hawks take the top of a snag for a nesting site, while woodpeckers such as the Pileated will choose to excavate a nest about 60 feet up, and squirrels will nest about half way down in a hollow tree.
House wrens favor holes in snags to raise their young also. A dead tree literally teems with life until natural decay takes the final toll and drops the snag to the forest floor where it continues to contribute to the ecosystem. A snag may stand some 30 or more years before it topples.
Dead trees provide a unique life support system for some 85 species of birds in North America. Some 50 mammals use dead trees for dens and nurseries, and innumerable invertebrate find cozy niches in them.
Usually it is the woodpeckers that claim a snag as home. This is why they are labeled primary snag nesters. Other species use their old nests in following years becoming secondary snag nesters. Each year woodpeckers chisel out new nests never going back and using an old nest site which probably has already been claimed by another species.
Screech, saw whet and pygmy owls, house wrens, tree and violet-green swallows, kestrels, bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches, wood ducks, hooded mergansers, goldeneyes, and buffleheads are secondary nesters using old woodpecker holes.
The large snags are choice ones. The pileated woodpeckers, barred owls and tree-nesting ducks cannot fit into the smaller snags. The large ones offer a wide choice of safe nests. High in a tall snag, it is difficult for predators to reach a nest. It is the big snags that are vanishing from the forests at an alarming rate.
Adding a snag to your back-yard bird feeding station will add interest, attract species that you may not have now, and help cavity nesters. Of course, when you start planting dead trees in your back yard, your neighbors may tend to look the other way as they whisper about your sanity.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
10 ways wildlife lovers can help birds-of-prey
*** If you discover birds-of-prey nesting, roosting or hunting in your locale, try to protect the areas from disturbances. Contact your state's wildlife commission if you need help.
*** If you witness or have evidence of someone shooting or killing a bird-of-prey, notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or your state wildlife commission so the person can be prosecuted. All birds-of-prey are federally protected.
*** If you hunt, make sure you are not shooting at a hawk or eagle.
*** It is a federal offense to disturb the nest of an eagle.
*** If you find a dead or wounded eagle, notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. USFWS agents will transport injured eagles to veterinary medical centers where they may be treated, rehabilitated and released.
*** Even a dead bird-of-prey, through autopsies, supply valuable information that can help living ones.
*** If you must use pesticides, choose those that chemically break down rapidly after use. Avoid chlorinated hydrocarbons. Read the labels carefully and follow instructions carefully. If you have any doubts or questions, contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or conservation organizations in your area.
*** When cleaning garages, basements, and storage areas, do not flush old pesticides down the drain or dump them into the garbage. Contact your local EPA office for advice.
*** If you find an injured bird-of-prey, do not attempt to rescue it unless you are experienced. Sharp talons leave nasty wounds. Call a local nature center, wildlife officer, wildlife rehabilitator or law enforcement office for help. Stay in the area and keep an eye on the injured bird until help arrives.
*** Hawks and owls are rodent eaters mainly. Poisoned rats and mice may be deadly to them when eaten. Remember this when you put out rodent poison.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
*** If you witness or have evidence of someone shooting or killing a bird-of-prey, notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or your state wildlife commission so the person can be prosecuted. All birds-of-prey are federally protected.
*** If you hunt, make sure you are not shooting at a hawk or eagle.
*** It is a federal offense to disturb the nest of an eagle.
*** If you find a dead or wounded eagle, notify the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. USFWS agents will transport injured eagles to veterinary medical centers where they may be treated, rehabilitated and released.
*** Even a dead bird-of-prey, through autopsies, supply valuable information that can help living ones.
*** If you must use pesticides, choose those that chemically break down rapidly after use. Avoid chlorinated hydrocarbons. Read the labels carefully and follow instructions carefully. If you have any doubts or questions, contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or conservation organizations in your area.
*** When cleaning garages, basements, and storage areas, do not flush old pesticides down the drain or dump them into the garbage. Contact your local EPA office for advice.
*** If you find an injured bird-of-prey, do not attempt to rescue it unless you are experienced. Sharp talons leave nasty wounds. Call a local nature center, wildlife officer, wildlife rehabilitator or law enforcement office for help. Stay in the area and keep an eye on the injured bird until help arrives.
*** Hawks and owls are rodent eaters mainly. Poisoned rats and mice may be deadly to them when eaten. Remember this when you put out rodent poison.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
How long does it take to fledge?
How long does it take to fledge?
Barn Owl – 60 days from hatching
cardinal - 9-10 days from hatching
Cedar Wax Wing - 15-16 days from hatching
Chimney Swift – 25-30 days from hatching
Crow - 28-35 days from hatching
House Wren - 15-16 days from hatching
Mourning Dove - 3-15 days from hatching
Nighthawk - Approx. 23 days
Robin - 9-16 days
Starling - 14-21 days from hatching
Barn Owl – 60 days from hatching
cardinal - 9-10 days from hatching
Cedar Wax Wing - 15-16 days from hatching
Chimney Swift – 25-30 days from hatching
Crow - 28-35 days from hatching
House Wren - 15-16 days from hatching
Mourning Dove - 3-15 days from hatching
Nighthawk - Approx. 23 days
Robin - 9-16 days
Starling - 14-21 days from hatching
Do you know who nests where?
Cavity nesters are backyard birds most hurt by man's encroachment on their environments.
However other bird species nest on the ground, in shrubs, trees and on various ledges. The
following list includes some common backyard bird nest sites.
Ground nesters:
American black duck
American woodcock
Boblink
Bobwhite
Canada goose
Eastern meadowlark
Killdeer
Mallard
Quail
Ring-necked pheasant
Rufous-sided towhee
Western meadowlark
White-throated sparrow
Shrub nesters
Brown thrasher
Brown towhee
California thrasher
Chipping sparrow
Common yellowthroat
Indigo bunting
Northern cardinal
Northern mockingbird
Red-winged blackbird
Rose-breasted growbeak
Song sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Yellow warbler
Shrub or tree nesters
American robin
Black-billed cuckoo
Black-billed magpie
Brewer's blackbird
Kingbird
Wood thrush
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Tree nesters
American crow
Blue Jay
Cedar Waxwing
Great horned owl
Hooded oriole
Inca dove
Lesser goldfinch
Mourning dove
Northern oriole
Orchard oriole
Pewee
Pine siskin
Purple finch
Red-tailed hawk
Screech owls
Platform nesters
American robin
Barn swallow
Black Phoebe
Cliff swallow
Eastern phoebe
Say's phoebe
Water tip
Provide water at varying levels for your backyard birds. Each avian species bathes a bit differently.
Depending on size, a bird may need water from only a half inch to several inches deep. Try placing
several flat stones around the edge of your bird bath. This allows the birds to gradually enter the
water.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
However other bird species nest on the ground, in shrubs, trees and on various ledges. The
following list includes some common backyard bird nest sites.
Ground nesters:
American black duck
American woodcock
Boblink
Bobwhite
Canada goose
Eastern meadowlark
Killdeer
Mallard
Quail
Ring-necked pheasant
Rufous-sided towhee
Western meadowlark
White-throated sparrow
Shrub nesters
Brown thrasher
Brown towhee
California thrasher
Chipping sparrow
Common yellowthroat
Indigo bunting
Northern cardinal
Northern mockingbird
Red-winged blackbird
Rose-breasted growbeak
Song sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
Yellow warbler
Shrub or tree nesters
American robin
Black-billed cuckoo
Black-billed magpie
Brewer's blackbird
Kingbird
Wood thrush
Yellow-billed cuckoo
Tree nesters
American crow
Blue Jay
Cedar Waxwing
Great horned owl
Hooded oriole
Inca dove
Lesser goldfinch
Mourning dove
Northern oriole
Orchard oriole
Pewee
Pine siskin
Purple finch
Red-tailed hawk
Screech owls
Platform nesters
American robin
Barn swallow
Black Phoebe
Cliff swallow
Eastern phoebe
Say's phoebe
Water tip
Provide water at varying levels for your backyard birds. Each avian species bathes a bit differently.
Depending on size, a bird may need water from only a half inch to several inches deep. Try placing
several flat stones around the edge of your bird bath. This allows the birds to gradually enter the
water.
© Copyright North American Wildlife Health Care Center
P.O. Box 155
Black Mountain, North Carolina, USA 28711
A non-profit 501-3-C organization dedicated to wildlife research and education
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