Ducks, especially mallards, are quite at home in urban areas and add a sense of wild tranquility to our cities’ ponds, creeks and man-made bodies of water. As a species, they are somewhat new to urban areas and sometimes mistakenly view green roofs, planters, terraces, balconies, and enclosed courtyards as suitable places to nest. While this behavior may seem strange to us, mother ducks are programmed to only consider the nest site itself and its … [Read more...]
Great Horned Owls — early nesters and archenemies of crows
With their big bright eyes and terse-looking ear tufts, great horned owls somehow manage to be both our symbol for knowledge and the archetypal owl for storybooks. In real life, they are no less formidable or fascinating, and the exciting thing is that they are common enough, even in suburbs and cities, that you actually have a pretty good chance of eventually seeing—or at least hearing—one. Read on to learn their preferences for digs, favorite … [Read more...]
That Noise May Be a Bird in a Vent
Whether you love birds or barely notice them, you’re not expected to love them nesting in the various exhaust vents of your home, rustling and chattering at the crack of dawn. But that’s exactly where cavity-nesting birds often look to make their nests. House sparrows and starlings are both widespread and numerous, after having been brought to North America where they were misguidedly and purposefully released. Unlike most wild birds, these “vent … [Read more...]
Bird in Basement? Here’s What to Do!
Okay, don’t be embarrassed if you freaked out a little when that bird in your basement suddenly startled you, making you completely forget what you went down there for. Who expects a bird in their basement? But stay calm, and carry on with trying to remember what you meant to look for. You can safely do that first and attend to getting the bird out later, because not all birds are going to behave like those in the Hitchcock movie—well, none, … [Read more...]
Hibernate, Migrate, Adapt—Wildlife Winter Survival
Winter is rarely easy for anyone, but you may wonder sometimes just how wild animals make it through, lacking heat, cozy blankets, and hot chocolate or coffee to keep warm. As it turns out, they’ve evolved a fascinating array of physical or behavioral adaptations to either avoid or cope with winter’s woes. Naturalists sometimes simplify the approaches into three main categories: migrate, hibernate, and adapt, and there are all kinds of variations … [Read more...]
Think You Have Animals in Your Chimney?
Wondering what that scratching or chattering you hear coming from your chimney is? It’s good you noticed, because sometimes animals in a chimney are in distress—having fallen inside by accident, they may be trapped. Sometimes, though, an animal chooses to enter your chimney, hoping to escape cold weather or looking for a safe place to raise young. If the chattering just began, wildlife babies may just now be getting to a size where their voices … [Read more...]
How to Deal with an Animal in a Vent
Are you hearing rustling noises in the bathroom and think there is an animal in the vent? Or, maybe you’re noticing a house sparrow or starling coming and going from a vent? Perhaps, a little bit of nesting material is sticking out of a vent? You’re not alone. Lots of people don’t realize that many of their home’s exterior vents—that exhaust appliances like dryers and furnaces and the different fans and vents that exhaust attics, bathrooms, … [Read more...]
Chattering Chimney Swifts
Chimney swifts are amazing birds, capable of nabbing their insect prey and gathering twigs for nest building while in flight, and able to cling to vertical surfaces for long periods with super strong feet. In addition to being attractive and social birds, they help us out by consuming mosquitoes, gnats, termites, and biting flies. But if they’re nesting or roosting in your chimney, you’re in for a rare treat!!! Yes, they can be noisy, … [Read more...]
Sparrows in Your House and Don’t Know What to Do?
House sparrows may sometimes take their name a little too much to heart. It sure seems so when they decide to nest not merely near your house, but wedged into vents, such as those for the stove, dryer, bath, or attic. Occasionally, they even fly into the living areas of a home through an open door, unscreened window, or uncapped chimney. Fortunately, there are effective ways to deal with house sparrows in your house. What to do when a … [Read more...]