Black Belt Birding Festival was a blast. I am so grateful I was able to attend and be a part of it this year’s Fest. This is the second year it has run.This festival was pulled together by a group of birders that wanted to share their joy of birding and share the history andContinue reading “Black Belt Birding Festival 2022”
Author Archives: caseyg
Sage Grouse
About Them: Sage Grouse encompasses the Greater Sage Grouse and the Gunnison Sage Grouse both residents of the sagebrush steppe that ranges across 11 western states. These are the birds of paradise of the western North American plains. The males perform a dramatic show in open sagebrush called a ‘lek’ from March to May toContinue reading “Sage Grouse”
Desert Bighorn Sheep
Clarifying: the Bighorn Sheep listed as endangered are specific populations, called DPS, Distinct Population Segments. The two subspecies within these populations are the Ovis canadensis nelsoni–Peninsular Bighorn Sheep and Ovis canadensis sierrae–Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep, so the Bighorn that live in California. They are listed because they have incurred such devastating population loss, they wereContinue reading “Desert Bighorn Sheep”
Fairy Shrimp
About Them: These are maybe the cutest crustaceans in the world, they are what are often called sea monkeys. Of course they don’t come from the sea. They are a species of Fairy Shrimp, we are focusing on the ones that live in California, that are super tiny, swim upside down and are only ableContinue reading “Fairy Shrimp”
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
photo referenced from Karen Hogan and Teresa Noel About Them: Red-cockaded Woodpeckers are residents of the south east. They live in old grown pines, specifically Longleaf historically, but they have managed to shift to loblolly, slash, shortleaf, Virginia, pond, and pitch. They need the tree to be alive, spaced distantly from other trees within anContinue reading “Red-Cockaded Woodpecker”
Hawaiian Goose or Nēnē
I wanted to ensure we focused on one bird from Hawai’i and went with the state bird, the Hawaiian Goose or Nēnē. Given that Hawai’i is considered the endangered bird capitol of the world I waned to make sure to bring awareness in some way. Hawai’i has nearly a quarter of all endangered birds onContinue reading “Hawaiian Goose or Nēnē”
Attwater Prairie Chicken
About Them: While called a chicken these are actually a grouse. They are striking birds that may at first look like a chicken until you see a male doing a full display. They are like birds of paradise in how much they have to put on a show to get a female to chose themContinue reading “Attwater Prairie Chicken”
Shenandoah Salamander
About Them: Like many salamanders found along the Appalachians these are about 3.5-4.5 inches long and overall brown, sometimes showing a yellow to reddish delicate stripe down their backs and sometimes all brown with orangish flecking. These stand out as they only live on three peaks within Shenandoah National Park over 2,600 feet. They useContinue reading “Shenandoah Salamander”
Black-Footed Ferret
About Them: This is a species that went extinct in the wild, but through captive breeding is being reintroduced into the wild. They are the only ferret of North America. They have dark colored feet, a black mask across their eyes, and are otherwise tan. They feed almost entirely on Prairie Dogs. Their plight: LossContinue reading “Black-Footed Ferret”
Whooping Crane
Photo reference from Donna Pomeroy About Them: Whooping Cranes are the largest birds in North America standing 5 feet tall with a 7 foot wing span. They are a rare bird to see, unless you go to specific locations in Texas or Florida. It is also possible to see a couple mixed in with groupsContinue reading “Whooping Crane”
Masked Bobwhite
About Them: These are a subspecies of the Bobwhite Quail often lumped with the Northern Bobwhite. Their distinctions are really only visible in the males, having a mostly black head instead of the white supercilium and lower white face markings of the Northern. Their differences do seem to go DNA deep and they make differentContinue reading “Masked Bobwhite”
Virginia Big-Eared Bat
About Them: These are some of the small brown bats that range the East Coast of the US. They are a species that is limited to small regions within of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. They have large ears that meet in the middle of their face making them look very gremlinContinue reading “Virginia Big-Eared Bat”
Casey Girard Illustration 