Ecology Blueprints

Do you know the difference between vultures and buzzards? There are pretty big differences, but there is often confusion between the two because of the name being used interchangeably when, in fact, these birds are separate species.

These birds are very adaptable and so can fare well in a variety of environments. So they’re widespread throughout the United States.

If you have bird feeders out in your yard, you may be familiar with Starlings coming around. Starlings are actually an invasive species to the United States and cause many problems for our native birds.

Owls eat a variety of prey. So when you dissect a pellet, you never know what you’ll discover! Let’s check out some information about some common prey owls eat.

Marine mammals like whales or seals spend quite a lot of time underwater, even though they breathe oxygen as we do. How are they able to hold their breath for so long? .

Have you heard of the Bare-legged Owl? This owl has dark eyes and a whitish-brown face with distinct white eyebrows. Their fronts are lighter with dark spots while their backs are a darker brown with white spots.

Band-bellied Owls are similar in appearance to Spectacled Owls (which you can read about here!) and are closely related to them but stand out by the distinctive stripes on their bellies.

Tropical Screech Owls can be found in Central and South America.  They stand 8-9 inches tall, with a 6-7 inch wingspan, and weigh 3.

Endemic to Hispaniola, an island in the Caribbean, this owl can’t be found anywhere else in the world. It looks very similar to a Barn Owl but is darker in coloring.

Athene Noctua, are found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand.  They like habitats that are open, like farms, orchards, and quarries.

They’re the largest member of the sandpiper family. They’re rare birds.

Last week, we spoke about California Condors, their characteristics, and that they’re endangered. This week, we’ll go more in-depth about why they’re endangered and what efforts have been made to save the California Condor.