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Habitat Hub
Factsheets and other helpful resources about the wildlife species living on your land (US only)
Bobolink
The species name of the bobolink, oryzivorus means “rice eating” and refers to this bird’s appetite for rice and other grains, especially during migration and in winter. One of the most impressive songbird migrants, traveling some 12,500 mi/20,000 km to and from southern South America every year. A migrating bobolink can orient itself with the earth’s magnetic field, thanks to iron oxide in bristles of its nasal cavity and in tissues around the olfactory bulb and nerve. Bobolinks also use the starry night sky to guide their travels.
Read moreBaird’s Sparrow
Baird’s sparrows were recently discovered breeding in the grassland prairie of northeastern Colorado. They typically breed hundreds of miles away in northeastern Montana, western North Dakota, and southern Canada. This discovery means the species can successfully colonize and nest in a different location and habitat than it has in the past.
Read morePrairie Falcon
Prairie falcon pairs are notoriously aggressive in defending their nest sites—against great horned owls, eagles, hawks, and even other prairie falcons, sometimes killing fledglings that stray into the wrong territory.
Read moreShort-Eared Owl
Short-eared owls can travel long distances over vast expanses of ocean. Witnesses have reported seeing these owls descending on ships hundreds of miles from land.
Read moreBurrowing Owl
Before laying eggs, burrowing owls carpet the entrances to their homes with animal dung, which attracts dung beetles and other insects that the owls then catch and eat.
Read moreBachman’s Sparrow
Only the female Bachman’s sparrow incubates the eggs, and then both the male and female care and feed the young after they hatch. During this time, the female will begin building a new nest for her next brood.
Read moreUpland Sandpiper
Unlike most shorebirds, the Upland sandpiper is completely terrestrial, rarely associated with coastal or wetland habitats, an obligate grassland species. As a result, it is often recognized as an indicator of prairie health.
Read moreSage Thrasher
Sage thrashers have a long, melodious flutelike song with a lot of variety in notes. The longest documented song was approximately 22 minutes long! Sage thrashers may also mimic the notes of other birds and have been called “the mockingbird of the sagebrush.”
Read moreLong-billed Curlew
Adult curlews will vigorously chase and attack potential nest or chick predators including coyotes, raptors, and people. Adults become more aggressive towards predators as their eggs begin to hatch.
Read moreLoggerhead Shrike
Some insects and amphibians are naturally toxic to birds, so shrikes store these toxic animals on thorns or barbed wire for a day or two until the toxins have degraded and the food is safe to eat.
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