Friday Feathered Feature

Dorothy the Rough-legged Hawk

Dorothy the Rough-legged Hawk

Neil Paprocki, PhD student at the University of Idaho, is gathering data for a project called Differential Migration in North American Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus). Almost 150 Rough-legs have been outfitted with GPS backpack transmitters since 2014.

Photo by Neil Paprocki

Evening Grosbeak

Evening Grosbeak

The Evening Grosbeak is a relatively uncommon bird in southern Wisconsin, typically appearing in winter at feeders or on crops of cones. In fact, I hadn’t thought about the bird as much more than a boreal species, reaching into the southern parts of the state to take advantage of seed crops.

Photo by Mick Thompson

Raptors with Transmitters

With new technology, it is interesting to be able to track raptor movements and learn more about raptor ecology. We plan on providing raptor updates this winter. We hope you enjoy learning about raptor movements and their ecology as much as we do.

Photo by Monica Hall

Townsend's Solitaire

Townsend's Solitaire

The Townsend’s Solitaire is a peculiar bird in that some of its population filters out from the pine, spruce, and fir of high altitude western mountain ranges into the Midwest each winter. This bird is driven by a berry—mainly the juniper berry.

Photo by Myles Hurlburt

Potential Impacts of a Spring Freeze in Texas on Songbirds Fledged in 2021

In February central Texas experienced an unexpected deep freeze. Experts reported adverse effects on wildlife including sea turtles, fish, monarchs, and birds. Goose Pond Sanctuary and partners fledged 1,254 songbirds from boxes in 2020 (5.2 per box) and 1,031 in 2021 (4.2 per box).

Photo by Arlene Koziol