Welcome to Classroom Connections—where every lesson moves from field to classroom. Each post features Ecology Blueprints, real-world Field Notes, and practical Classroom Connections designed to help you teach wildlife science, food webs, anatomy, and ecosystems with confidence.
And bring each lesson to life in your classroom—starting today.
These birds are so named Merlin, not after the wizard, but from the French word esmerillon, which translates to falcon.
These animals hang out on rocky cliff faces, getting into precarious places that we humans would have difficulty reaching on our own. Thankfully these animals have hooves that are designed exactly for this kind of activity.
Talons can vary in shape and size, all depending on the species of bird. In fact, a bird’s talons can give us more insight into what it eats than their beaks can.
Wolves usually breed in late winter and their pups are born after only two months. The alpha female of a pack usually gives birth to 4-6 pups.
There are two hypotheses as to why owls have adapted to fly so silently compared to other birds. The first is that flying silently helps them capture prey by making sure the prey doesn’t know they’re coming.
As we round the corner from winter to spring, nesting is beginning for many of our favorite birds. While most don’t start until April, some species like Great Horned Owls, Golden Eagles, and Red-tailed Hawks have already begun.
Boreal owls are known scientifically as Aegolius funereus. They also are known as Tengmalm’s Owl, after the surname of a Swedish naturalist.
These owls are very good at laying low and not being discovered. They live in forests in North America and for the winter, they’ll migrate to the central and southern areas of the United States.
According to the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, the goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to care for sick or injured wild animals with the goal of returning them to the wild as soon as they’re able.
One of their traits that they’re known for is how they hunt. They tend to go after other birds while they’re in flight.
Snowy owls are beautiful birds of prey, and one of the largest of the owl family in the entire world. They breed in the far north and migrate south during winter months to extend their feeding range.
Spotted Owls are medium owls with dark brown feathers and white spots. They also have striking dark eyes.
