Category: Conservation

North American Wetlands

North American wetlands are a sight to behold, with their crystal water reflecting the sun’s rays and the vibrant fish swimming beneath. The woven nests of pied-billed grebes, adorned with the leaves of lush cattails, deep blue wild iris, and brilliant yellow marsh marigolds, add to the beauty of these water-dominated landscapes. Despite their poor, oxygen-starved soils and highly variable conditions, these incredible ecosystems support more than 40% of the world’s biodiversity. Embark on a journey to explore the wetlands of North America, from the saltwater mangroves of the Gulf Coast to the interdunal wetlands of the Door Peninsula and witness the unique bird species that depend on them.

Gulf Coast Mangroves

We begin amongst the mangroves of the Gulf Coast. A mangrove is one of many species of trees specially adapted to live within coastal intertidal zones, the area between the lowest and highest tides. The intertidal zone can be covered in freshwater, saltwater, or a mix at any time. It can also be ten or more feet deep or completely dry, sometimes even on the same day. These drastic changes mean the mangroves provide stable shelter to numerous species wishing to call the coastal intertidal zone home.

One such species, the roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), can be found along the coasts of Florida and Louisiana in the United States. Its range once stretched along the entire gulf but was decimated by feather hunters in the early 1900s. It has stunning plumage, with a bright pink body, brilliant red along its wings, and an orange tail. Its most striking feature, and the reason for its name, is its spoon-shaped bill. This bill allows it to feed via “tactolocation,” where it slowly walks through the water, swinging its head back and forth, mouth open until it feels its favorite food (typically small fish or invertebrates) and snatches it out of the water. Essential locations protect many roseate spoonbill breeding sites, including Everglades National Park, the Kennedy Space Center, and the Merritt I National Wildlife Refuge. However, coastal development remains a significant threat as the spoonbills must forage beyond their nesting sites. This can be seen in the Florida Keys, where large developments have removed the mangroves and physically pushed the spoonbills to forage in new locations. Coastal development has also directly resulted in decreased water quality that impacts the fish and invertebrates on which the spoonbills depend. It’s crucial to recognize the importance of conserving fragile mangrove habitats to safeguard diverse and unique species like the roseate spoonbill for the benefit of future generations.

Cache River Wetlands

Next, we will stop within the Cache River Wetlands, one of 41 North American sites recognized as internationally important by the International Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar). This area supports a network of cypress-tupelo swamps. These beautiful ecosystems bring alligators and mosquitos to mind rather than the corn and soybeans one typically pictures when thinking of Illinois.

Along the edges of these swamps, where murky water gives way to rich, damp, worm-filled soils, lives one of North America’s strangest birds: the American woodcock (Scolopax minor). A member of the sandpiper family, this bird frequents swamp edges, damp forests, and other locations with soft soils perfect for digging up their favorite food: earthworms. Their long, think beaks pierce through the soil, probing for worms. Their tilted eyes, located so far back on their head that they are behind their ears, allow them to see the sky even when their beak is buried in the ground. Adding to their uniqueness is their buzzing call, described as “bzeep”, which can be heard emanating from the darkness of night as they perform their courtship rituals. All these traits have spurred the creation of a colorful host of names, including bog sucker, night partridge, and timberdoodle.

Great Lakes

Farther north, we can find the Great Lakes, one of Earth’s most incredible freshwater ecosystems. These lakes make up 1/5 of Earth’s freshwater and hold more than six quadrillion gallons. Tucked along the western edge of Lake Michigan sits the coastal wetlands of the Door Peninsula, another Ramsar recognized location. These wetlands, called interdunal wetlands or dune slacks, are some of the most unique wetlands in the world. Coastal dune systems are shifting ecosystems defined by the movements of wind and water. Interdunal wetlands are created when strong coastal winds carve out sand to a point below the water table, allowing water to well up to the surface. Much like the dunes that surround them, interdunal wetlands change from day to day, decade to decade, and century to century as the dunes cover them, only to reveal them again in the future.

This pristine ecosystem provides the perfect habitat for the osprey, a widely admired raptor whose diet consists mainly of fish. Osprey populations rapidly declined from the 1950s through the 1970s due to the widespread use of the chemical pesticide DDT, which caused the thinning and weakening of bird eggshells. Studies of osprey provided the crucial evidence needed to enact bans against DDT, allowing bird populations across the country to begin to recover. More recently, habitat and nesting-site loss have impeded the osprey’s recovery, but the increasing popularity of artificial nesting platforms and the osprey’s preference for these platforms over other natural sites has allowed them to thrive once again.

Conserve Wetlands

From the mangroves of the Gulf Coast to the cypress-tupelo swamps of the Cache River Wetlands and the interdunal wetlands of the Door Peninsula, North America’s wetlands offer a diverse array of habitats for unique bird species. These wetlands not only provide a home for these remarkable bird species but also contribute to the rich biodiversity of North America’s landscapes, making their conservation imperative for generations to come.

Written By: Tyson, Senior Manager and Class of 2026.

With the weather getting colder, many wildlife are seeking warm places to spend the winter days. Dr. Stephany Lewis and Dr. Erica Bender join CiLiving to share with the community what pest control items are dangerous to wildlife and what alternatives can be used to keep critters out of your home.

Imagine: a grassland stretching as far as the eyes can see, dotted here and there with small patches of trees. Great herds of animals cross the land, grazing on the plentiful vegetation. The disturbance they cause sends insects soaring into the vast sky, where thousands of birds swoop and feast. Smoke drifts on the horizon as gentle fires sweep across the hills, sending nutrients back into the rich, dark soils. This is the landscape that once covered more than a third of America and gave Illinois its nickname “the Prairie State.” What was this iconic ecosystem that supported a vast amount of animal (and human) life, and where did it go? 

What is a Prairie?

A prairie is a type of North American grassland that originally stretched from Ohio to the Rocky Mountains. It was formed in the rain shadow created by the Rockies as they stretched taller and taller, blocking the rains from the humid Pacific air from reaching the Midwest. There are three main types of prairies: shortgrass, found in the westernmost range, midgrass, found stretching from the Dakotas south to Texas, and tallgrass, the easternmost prairie that was once found across almost all of Illinois.  

The tallgrass prairie was once the largest continuous ecosystem in North America, covering more than 170 million acres and supporting such a diversity of life that it was only rivaled by the Amazon Rainforest. When the glaciers of the Pleistocene (the most recent ice age) swept across Illinois, they left behind a landscape characterized by gentle hills and deep soils. This soil allowed tallgrass prairie plants to create extensive root systems that could reach more than ten feet deep, allowing them to survive in the harsh conditions prairies often experienced. 

One such harsh condition that dominated the prairie: fire. During late summer and early fall, lightning strikes would ignite the landscape. The fire would burn the above-ground portions of the plants, but the deep roots would give rise to new growth next spring. The ash left behind would provide further nutrients, creating the incredibly rich soils prairies were known for. The seasonality of these fires protected plants as well, as there was never enough material built up to create massive fires whose heat could penetrate the soil. Additionally, the fires prevented tree growth, an incredibly important aspect of prairie maintenance as shade can kill prairie plants adapted to life under a constant, harsh sun. 

These fires benefitted the grazing animals that called the prairie home, as new growth is more palatable and nutritious than old growth. One such grazer is our national mammal, the American Bison (Bison bison). Bison graze on the prairie grasses for nine to eleven hours per day, working their way across the landscape. Compared to cattle, bison are more efficient grazers, utilize rougher terrain that cattle cannot, consume less, and are much less likely to graze the same area more than once per season. All of this means that the estimated 21-88 million bison present prior to European settlement coexisted with the landscape and improved it, acting much like fires did to add nutrients back to the soil and clear out dense plant life. 

What Happened to the Tallgrass Prairie?

When European settlers first made their way across the American west, they described the land as “park-like” and filled with endless abundance. It was this belief that led to the disappearance of the prairie and the loss of its residents. 

Purposeful overhunting of bison caused the species to drop to a record low of less than a thousand individuals by the start of the 20^th century, removing an important ecosystem engineer and cultural cornerstone of Indigenous tribes. It was only through the conservation work of these tribes, as well as important public and private stakeholders such as the National Park Service, that bison are once again roaming what is left of the Great Plains. 

Today, the “Prairie” state is better known for its agriculture, but prior to the 19^th century it was thought to be unfarmable. All that changed with the invention of the steel plow by John Deere in 1837. Previously, plows were made from cast iron. Prairie soil and roots would stick to the metal, so farmers needed to continuously stop and clean them. The steel plow was thought of as “self-cleaning,” as the thick soil did not stick to it, allowing for continuous plowing. This invention tore through the prairie, opening the doors to some of the most fertile farmland in the entire world. 

European expansion also brought about an age of fire suppression, as fire and its effects on the land were relatively unknown by settlers until very recently. It wasn’t until the Yellowstone fires of 1988, in which centuries of fire suppression and brush build up led to the largest wildfire in Yellowstone history, that fire suppression policies were abandoned in favor of prescription fire and controlled burn practices, yet logistical and legal hurdles to these practices still exist. Prairie remnants that weren’t plowed slowly disappeared under the shade of trees previously prevented by grazers and fires.

Living Up to Our Name

How do we continue to feed a growing world while protecting and maintaining our natural resources? This is one of the greatest challenges to prairie protection and restoration in Illinois and across the Midwest. This question also continues to grow in relevance as research into the carbon sequestration abilities of prairies and grasslands sheds new light on their impact; since most of a grassland’s mass is beneath the soil, restoring grasslands has the potential to trap massive amounts of carbon much faster than newly planted forests can.  

To understand our impact on the prairie, we must learn from one of the most important prairie engineers: humans. Prior to European settlement, the Plains Tribes managed prairies very similarly to the newly emerging management styles today. In many cultures, September was known as the “burning moon,” the time when the prairie was purposefully set ablaze to give rise to new growth. This new growth attracted grazers closer to tribal settlements, providing ample hunting opportunities. Unlike modern fire regimes, these ones were cultural: the act of burning provided access to traditional foods and materials that were sustainably utilized for centuries. 

It was humans that shaped the prairies we recognize today, and it is humans that can bring them back. One important way to do that is to rethink how we utilize space. A typical grass lawn consists of only a few types of plants with very shallow root systems, in stark contrast to the deep-rooted prairie grasses. Very few animals can utilize grass lawns for food or shelter, whereas even a small area of native prairie plants can provide countless opportunities for all manner of living things. Bringing back the prairie can start in our own yards through the planting of native prairie species, many of which feature brilliant flowers and showy growth patterns that rival many non-native annuals. Utilizing plants adapted to this region also means less water and overall maintenance for the owner. It doesn’t need to stop at yards, either. Underutilized natural spaces are all around us. Along the edges of highways, underneath power lines, in the medians of parking lots: all it takes is a little soil and sun to create a patch of prairie. 

Aside from physically planting new prairie, one of the most impactful ways to bring them back is to change people’s perceptions of them. Environmental education and access to high quality outdoor spaces have been positively correlated with improved awareness towards and positive attitudes regarding conservation and the environment, especially among children. One way to utilize this is to simply visit a prairie and truly take in what it has to offer. You can use the Prairie Scavenger Hunt resource featured in this article to encourage your children to explore and discover. When perceptions change and people understand and appreciate what prairies provide, conservation initiatives, public and private funding, and local, state, and federal policy changes follow.  

Less than one hundredth of one percent of Illinois’ original prairies remain, but the number of new and restored prairies have steadily grown throughout the past decade. Together, through simple acts such as gardening and spreading awareness, we can finally live up to our nickname again and welcome people back to the Prairie State. 

Written by Tyson, Class of 2026

Resources

Prairie Scavenger Hunt

Illinois Native Plant Society (illinoisplants.org) 

• For information on native plants, including where to find plant sales and nurseries, visit the Illinois Native Plant Society website. 

Tallgrass Prairie – Illinois Natural History Survey (publish.illinois.edu/tallgrass-prairie/) 

• For information on how to landscape with prairie plants and where to find prairie remnants throughout Illinois, explore this website from the Illinois Natural History Survey. 

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie – (www.fs.usda.gov/midewin) 

• To see the impact of prairie restoration and what a large prairie ecosystem looks like, visit the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a part of the Chicago wilderness. 

ITBC – Intertribal Buffalo Council (itbcbuffalonation.org) 

• To learn more about the efforts of Indigenous tribes to improve bison populations and resecure food sovereignty, check out this website from the Intertribal Buffalo Council, a group of over eighty tribes facilitating the management of thousands of bison. 

References

• 15 Facts About Bison (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/articles/15-facts-about-bison.htm
• A Complex Prairie Ecosystem—Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). National Park Service: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas. Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/tapr/learn/nature/a-complex-prairie-ecosystem.htm
• Dreitz, V. J., Stinson, L. T., Hahn, B. A., Tack, J. D., & Lukacs, P. M. (2017). A large-scale perspective for managing prairie avifauna assemblages across the western US: Influences of habitat, land ownership and latitude. PeerJ, 5, e2879. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2879
• Anderson, R. C., & Anderson, M. R. (1975). The Presettlement Vegetation of Williamson County, Illinois. Castanea, 40(4), 345–363.
• Ardoin, N. M., Bowers, A. W., & Gaillard, E. (2020). Environmental education outcomes for conservation: A systematic review. Biological Conservation, 241, 108224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108224
• Aune, K., Jørgensen, D., & Gates, C. (2016). IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Bison bison. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. https://www.iucnredlist.org/en
• Axelrod, D. I. (1985). Rise of the grassland biome, central North America. The Botanical Review, 51(2), 163–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02861083
• Bach, E. M., & Kleiman, B. P. (2021). Twenty years of tallgrass prairie restoration in northern Illinois, USA. Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 2(4), e12101. https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12101
• Black Soil Prairie. (n.d.). Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://dnr.illinois.gov/education/cdhabitatmain/cdhabitatblacksoil.html
• Copeland, T. E., Sluis, W., & Howe, H. F. (2002). Fire Season and Dominance in an Illinois Tallgrass Prairie Restoration. Restoration Ecology, 10(2), 315–323. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-100X.2002.02023.x
• Frost, C. C. (n.d.). Presettlement fire frequency regimes of the United States: A first approximation. Fire in Ecosystem Management: Shifting the Paradigm from Suppression to Prescription, 70–81.
• Garfinkel, M., Hosler, S., Whelan, C., & Minor, E. (2022). Powerline Corridors Can Add Ecological Value to Suburban Landscapes When Not Maintained as Lawn. Sustainability, 14(12), Article 12. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127113
• History and Mission – ITBC. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://itbcbuffalonation.org/history-and-mission/
• Illinois’ Grand Prairie: Protecting and Re-creating the Tallgrass Ecosystem. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2023, from https://outdoor.wildlifeillinois.org/articles/undefined/illinois-grand-prairie-protecting-and-re-creating-the-tallgrass-ecosystem
• Landscaping with native plants – Tallgrass Prairie. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2023, from https://publish.illinois.edu/tallgrass-prairie/landscaping-with-native-plants/
• Miller, K. (2002). Planning for Bison Grazing on Native Rangeland. USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service. https://efotg.sc.egov.usda.gov/references/public/NE/Range_and_Pasture_Technical_Note_12.pdf
• Nature—Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). National Park Service: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, Kansas. Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/tapr/learn/nature/index.htm
• Ontl, T., & Janowiak, M. (2017). Grassland and Carbon Management. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Climate Change Resource Center. https://www.fs.usda.gov/ccrc/topics/grassland-carbon-management
• Purakayastha, T. J., Huggins, D. R., & Smith, J. L. (2008). Carbon Sequestration in Native Prairie, Perennial Grass, No-Till, and Cultivated Palouse Silt Loam. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 72(2), 534–540. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2005.0369
• Ries, L., Debinski, D. M., & Wieland, M. L. (2001). Conservation Value of Roadside Prairie Restoration to Butterfly Communities. Conservation Biology, 15(2), 401–411. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2001.015002401.x
• The Prairie Roots Project | Tallgrass Prairie Center. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2023, from https://www.tallgrassprairiecenter.org/prairie-roots-project
• Tribal and Indigenous Fire Tradition. (2021, November 16). US Forest Service. https://www.fs.usda.gov/features/tribal-and-indigenous-heritage
• Weber, K. T. (2001). Historic Bison Populations: A GIS-Based Estimate. https://giscenter.isu.edu/Research/Projects/BisonPaper.pdf
• Where to see prairies – Tallgrass Prairie. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2023, from https://publish.illinois.edu/tallgrass-prairie/where-to-see-prairies/

As we enter spooky season, the Wildlife Medical Clinic would like to share some ways to ensure the safety of wildlife around us. Join CiLiving and Sydney Oliveira, the Wildlife Medical Clinic Program Director, to learn about the impact of Palm Oil on wildlife and how to go about choosing environmentally conscious Halloween treats this season.

Every fall and spring, just like how thousands of students use the American highway system to return to home or school, hundreds of species of birds use a system of “flyways” to migrate according to the seasons. A flyway is an intricate pathway connecting all the regions birds use, including breeding, non-breeding, and staging areas. The American flyways can be roughly broken up into four distinct regions: the Atlantic Flyway, the Mississippi Flyway, the Central Flyway, and the Pacific Flyway. Flyways are complex and their borders are often hard to outline (parts of all the American flyways converge in Panama), but the birds that use them travel astonishing distances each year as part of their fascinating life cycles. Explore the flyways below and meet some of the charismatic species that use them! 

The Atlantic Flyway 

The Atlantic Flyway extends across the Eastern seaboard and contains iconic locations such as Chesapeake Bay, the Florida Everglades, and the Caribbean islands. The ecosystems in this flyway are incredibly diverse. From broadleaf forests and shrublands to coastal salt marshes, birds of all kinds depend on the natural resources across the region. 

Piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) are regionally threatened or endangered and live on beaches, flats, and sandbars in coastal, Great Lakes, and Mississippi river waters. They are exclusively found in North America and are subject to the pressures of habitat loss and human disturbance. The birds are shy, preferring natural beaches without humans nearby. Conservation efforts have focused on protecting existing habitat and creating new habitat by dividing beaches to foster quieter, undisturbed habitat while still preserving recreational opportunities for people. As of 2020, their population numbers have been increasing. A pair actually nested on Montrose Beach in Chicago in 2019, the first time a nesting pair was seen in the area in half a century, and three birds were recently released by the Fish and Wildlife Service on that same beach this past July 2023.  

The Mississippi Flyway 

The Mississippi flyway follows the Mississippi river from its headwaters in Minnesota to its outlet into the Gulf of Mexico and across the gulf into South America. The migrating birds depend on the many prairies, wetlands, and forests found in the Mississippi river basin. The topography of this region is so flat that migrating birds do not need to adjust their height or direction to avoid geographical features like they do in the other flyways.  

The endangered whooping crane (Grus americana) utilizes the Mississippi flyway to travel from nesting grounds in Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and other Midwest states south to wintering grounds in Texas, Louisiana, and Florida. The population reached a low of 15 individuals in 1942 and was estimated to be between 50 and 249 mature individuals in 2020. Migration patterns are a learned behavior in this species, posing unique challenges when trying to create new populations. To counteract this, researchers trained young cranes to follow an ultralight aircraft which was then flown across the United States from Ontario and Wisconsin down to wintering sites in Florida. 

The Central Flyway 

This flyway stretches from the Arctic to the Gulf of Mexico and connects the Rocky Mountains, the Southwest deserts, the great plains, and countless wetlands, grasslands, highlands, and desert ecosystems. The topography and varying climate causes migratory birds to take less direct routes to avoid the more inhospitable areas.  

When they hear the word “cuckoo” most people think of the European cuckoo, which is famously featured in cuckoo clocks made in the Black Forest region of Germany, but the cuckoo family of birds has members residing across the world, including North America. The yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) can be found across much of the central and eastern parts of the United States, preferring riparian habitats (the edges of rivers, lakes, streams, and other bodies of water). Cuckoos are known for their strange and diverse calls, and the yellow-billed is no exception with at least six defined vocalizations including coos, knocks, kawlps, and croaks. Yellow-billed cuckoos are currently listed as a species of least concern but have been experiencing decline over the past few decades and are considered endangered in certain states. They have mostly disappeared from the westernmost states of the central flyway, as droughts and the building and use of dams have greatly degraded the available riparian habitat.  

The Pacific Flyway 

The Pacific Flyway includes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, California, and Hawaii and supports the migration of more than a billion birds across rainforests, coastal marshes, scrublands, deserts, mountains, and more. A larger network of state and federally protected lands in this region also provides more habitat for these species, lending to the abundance of wildlife seen throughout. 

The yellow-billed loon (Gavia adamsii) is the largest member of the loon family which also includes the common loon, a rare but exciting visitor to the Wildlife Medical Clinic. Yellow-billed loons spend their summers in the high arctic tundra, fishing and breeding on the pristine lakes and rivers found throughout. They winter along the southern coast of Alaska and, rarely, along Washington, Oregon, and California. This species is extremely susceptible to pollution from oil and gas drilling and transport, as they depend on clean water and abundant sources of fish. 

Loons have solid bones just like penguins and ostriches, but, unlike penguins and ostriches, loons are still capable of flight. The solid bones greatly decrease their buoyancy and aid in swimming, making them some of the best diving birds on the planet. These solid bones also mean that loons are heavy and awkward out of the water. Unlike other waterfowl such as ducks, loons are only capable of taking off from and landing in water, as they need a long wind-up directly into the wind to gain the lift they need. The increase in paved surfaces and the heat mirages they generate means that loons often mistake roadways as waterways and land on them. Without any water, they are then unable to take off again. 

Just like all life on Earth, the flyways that migratory birds use are complex, beautiful, and not-entirely understood. In time we will unlock the secrets of the flyways, but it is important that we also protect the birds who depend on them. If you are still curious or would like to learn more about the flyways, you can find more information on them at www.Audubon.org/birds/flyways.  

Written by Tyson, Class of 2026

References: 

BirdLife International. 2020. Charadrius melodus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22693811A182083944. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020- 3.RLTS.T22693811A182083944.en 

BirdLife International. 2020. Grus americana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T22692156A181242855. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22692156A181242855.en. 

Captive-reared Great Lakes piping plovers released at Montrose Beach | U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. (2023, July 13). FWS.Gov. https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2023-07/captive-reared-great-lakes-piping-plovers-released-montrose-beach-help 

Elliott-Smith, E., & Haig, S. M. (2020). Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus), version 1.0. Birds of the World. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.pipplo.01 

Hughes, J. M. (2020). Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus), version 1.0. Birds of the World. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.yebcuc.01 

Life Adaptations—Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve (U.S. National Park Service). Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://www.nps.gov/gaar/learn/nature/common-loon-3.htm 

Piping Plover | Audubon Field Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/piping-plover 

Piping Plovers Nest in Chicago for the First Time in Over Half a Century | Audubon. (2019, June 28). https://www.audubon.org/news/piping-plovers-nest-chicago-first-time-over-half-century 

The Flyways | Audubon. (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.audubon.org/birds/flyways 

Urbanek, R. P., & Lewis, J. C. (2020). Whooping Crane (Grus americana), version 1.0. Birds of the World. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whocra.01 

Whooping Crane | Audubon Field Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved July 8, 2023, from https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/whooping-crane 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo | Audubon Field Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved July 22, 2023, from https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/yellow-billed-cuckoo 

Yellow-billed Cuckoo Overview, All About Birds, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. (n.d.). Retrieved August 12, 2023, from https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-billed_Cuckoo/overview 

WMC Program Coordinator Sydney Oliveira and Dr. Danielle Lang share tips to be mindful of wildlife safety as we move into Spring!

February is the month when we show love to those who are important to us. Here are some ways to show love to the wildlife in your local neighborhood:

1. Provide a habitat that is welcoming to wildlife.

You can attract wildlife to your property by ensuring the environment is welcoming to the animals. One way to accomplish this is by growing native plants in your garden. Native plants will attract an assortment of pollinators including bees, butterflies, and birds, which will in-turn make your garden thrive. Native plants can also provide food and shelter for other wildlife. Recommendations for native Illinois plants to attract wildlife can be found here: https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/good-growing/2022-09-15-attracting-wildlife-native-plants

It is also important to note that pesticides can be deadly to many of our wildlife species, including our pollinators. It is best to limit pesticide use and avoid application of any pesticides to plants when any animal or insect is nearby. The US environmental protection agency lists a variety of resources to assist in reducing pesticide impacts on animals. More information about this can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol/tips-reducing-pesticide-impacts-wildlife

Another way to welcome wildlife to your neighborhood is to have bird houses on your property. This can be a great opportunity to provide shelter, warmth, and nesting options for the birds near you. The National Wildlife Federation has recommendations on how to choose the right bird house here: https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2010/Best-Bird-Houses

2. Do not feed wildlife

It can be really tempting to feed wild animals, especially the cute opossums or raccoons that
may show up on your back porch. However, we strongly advise you not to do this. This is because when a human feeds a wild animal, the animal then becomes unafraid of human interaction. This loss of fear can lead to dependency on humans for food instead of hunting for the food themselves. If the human then moves away from that location, they have left the wild animal with the inability to fend for itself, making it an easier target for predators. Additionally, a loss of fear in humans, leads wildlife to move into suburban areas where there is increased motor vehicle activity and more chance of an animal being hit, which leads to an increase in wildlife injury and death.

Bird feeders are the one exception to this. These feeders can be beneficial to birds, especially in extreme temperature changes when resources may be scarce. However, it is important to be sure to clean your feeder frequently and ensure that there is no current outbreak of Highly pathogenic avian influenza in your area; doing so can prevent the transmission of infections to other birds in your area.

3. Leave the animals alone.

If an animal is not injured or obviously orphaned, it is always best to leave the animals alone. This may occasionally be difficult to determine depending on the species, especially since wildlife animals like to hide any signs that they are sick or injured. Besides obvious signs of injury like “hit by a car,” and “visible blood,” an animal may show less obvious signs that they may be sick or injured including:
– The animal is not able to perform its normal behavior. Hawks are supposed to fly, and squirrels are supposed to easily climb trees. If the animal cannot do these normal actions, then they could be sick or injured.
– The animal is not afraid of humans and doesn’t evade capture. Wild animals are fearful of humans because they view us as predators that they need to escape from. Usually this means that the animal won’t be in the same location as humans; they will prefer to be as far away as possible from human interaction. If an animal is not showing fear of you when you approach it or if you see an animal in an area closer to humans, this could be a sign of sickness or injury.

To the untrained eye, it may also be difficult to determine if a baby animal is orphaned. One thing to keep in mind is that every species interacts with their young in different ways and at different times of the day. Therefore, just because you don’t see the mom, doesn’t mean the animal is an orphan. For example, mother rabbits will only return to the den twice a day- once in the morning and once after dusk. If you find a rabbit den filled with babies, it is best to leave the babies alone, unless injured, and observe to see if mom has returned later in the day. This can be done by placing leaves or twigs over the den; if mom has returned, you will notice that the leaves have been disturbed.

For more information on what to do if you find an animal in need, visit our website at https://vetmed.illinois.edu/wildlife/hospital/wildlife-medical-clinic/resources-wildlife-fun-facts/. We are also available via phone or e-mail if you have any questions about a potential orphaned or injured animal. Please feel free to reach out to us at the Wildlife medical clinic via phone at 217-244-1195 or via e-mail at wmcchair@vetmed.illinois.edu. One of our volunteers will be able to answer your questions and advise on the best plan of action for the animal that you found