Photo coming soon.

Photo coming soon.

The Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks, is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas of North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand (where it is currently the most common duck species), and Australia. It is strongly migratory in the northern parts of its breeding range, and winters farther south. For example, in North America it winters south to Mexico, but also regularly strays into Central America and the Caribbean between September and May.

The Mallard and the Muscovy Duck are believed to be the ancestors of all domestic ducks.

When to see them at UseeWildlife

The Mallard ducks usually start arriving in late November to early December. They are typically seen on cameras 8 and 7 with the majority of spotting occurring on camera 8. They typically stay until around February to March depending on weather conditions.

Description

The Mallard is 56–65 cm long, has a wingspan of 81–98 cm, and weighs 0.9–1.2Kg. The breeding male is unmistakable, with a green head, black rear end and a yellowish orange (can also contain some red) bill tipped with black (as opposed to the dark brown bill in females). The female Mallard is light brown, like most female dabbling ducks. However, both the female and male Mallards have distinct purple speculum edged with white, prominent in flight or at rest (though temporarily shedded during the annual summer molt). In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage the drake becomes drab, looking more like the female, but still distinguishable by its yellow bill and reddish breast.

A noisy species, the male has a nasal call, the female the “quack” always associated with ducks.

Ecology

The Mallard inhabits most wetlands, including parks, small ponds and rivers, and usually feeds by dabbling for plant food or grazing; there are reports of it eating frogs. It usually nests on a river bank, but not always near water. It is highly gregarious outside of the breeding season and will form large flocks, which are known as a sord.

Breeding behavior

Mallards form pairs only until the female lays eggs, at which time she is left by the male. The clutch is 8–13 eggs, which are incubated for 27–28 days to hatching with 50–60 days to fledging. The ducklings are precocial, and can swim and feed themselves on insects as soon as they hatch, although they stay near the female for protection.

Ancestor of domestic ducks

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) is the ancestor of almost all of the varieties of domestic ducks. Domestic ducks belong to the subfamily Anatinae of the waterfowl family Anatidae. The wild Mallard and Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) are believed to be the ancestors of all domestic ducks.

Photo coming soon.

Photo coming soon.

The name “coyote” is borrowed from Mexican Spanish, ultimately derived from the Nahuatl wordcoyotl. Its scientific name, Canis latrans, means “barking dog.”

The color of the coyote’s pelt varies from grayish brown to yellowish gray on the upper parts, while the throat and belly tend to have a buff or white color. The forelegs, sides of the head, muzzle and feet are reddish brown. The back has tawn-colored underfur and long, black-tipped guard hairs that form a black dorsal stripe and a dark cross on the shoulder area. The black-tipped tail has a scent gland located on its dorsal base. Coyotes shed once a year, beginning in May with light hair loss, ending in July after heavy shedding. The ears are proportionately large in relation to the head, while the feet are relatively small in relation to the rest of the body.^[5] Mountain dwelling coyotes tend to be dark furred while desert coyotes tend to be more yellowish in color.^[6]

Coyotes typically grow to 75–87 centimeters (30–34 inches) in length and on average, weigh from 7–21 kilograms (15–46 pounds).^[5] Northern coyotes are typically larger than southern subspecies, with the largest coyotes on record weighing 74¾ pounds (33.7 kg) and measuring over five feet in total length.^[9] The coyote’s dental formula is I 3/3, C 1/1, Pm 4/4, M usually 2/2, occasionally 3/3, 3/2, or 2/3 X 2 = 40, 42, or 44.^[10] Normal spacing between the upper canine teeth is 1? to 1? inches (29 to 35 mm) and 1 to 1¼ inches (25 to 32 mm) between the lower canine teeth.^[11] Certain expertshave noted that the shape of a domestic dog’s brain case is closer to the coyote than the wolf.^[8]

The upper frequency limit of hearing for coyotes is 80 kHz, compared to the 60 kHz of domestic dogs.^[12] Unlike wolves, but similarly to domestic dogs, coyotes have sweat glands on their paw pads. This trait is however absent in the large New England coyotes which are thought to have some wolf ancestry.^[13]

During pursuit, a coyote may reach speeds up to 43 mph (69 km/h),^[14] and can jump over 4 meters (13? feet).^[5]

The Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii), is a medium-sized hawk native to the North American continent and found from Canada to Mexico. It can be spotted on any of the USeeWildlife cams, but these shots were captured from the Upper Springs cam in April. As in many birds of prey, the male is smaller than the female. The Birds found east of the Mississippi River tend to be larger on average than the birds found to the west.

Description

The average size of an adult male, at 312 g (.69 lb), 39.37 cm (15.5 in) long and has a wingspan of 71.12 cm (29 in). The adult male is significantly smaller than the average female, at 500 g (1.1 lb), 45 cm (17.7 in) long and has a wingspan of 83 cm (32.67 in). All have short rounded wings and a very long tail with dark bands, round-ended at the tip. Adults have red eyes and have a black cap, with blue-gray upper parts and white under parts with fine, thin, reddish bars. Their tail is blue gray on top and pale underneath, barred with black bands. Immatures have yellow eyes and have a brown cap, with brown upper parts and pale under parts with thin black streaks mostly ending at the belly. Their tail is brown on top and pale underneath, barred with dark bands. Immature Coopers are somewhat larger than a Sharp-shinned Hawk and smaller than a Northern Goshawk, though small males nearly overlap with large female Sharp-shinned Hawks, and large female Cooper’s Hawks nearly overlap with small male Goshawks. The Cooper’s Hawk appears long-necked in flight and has been described by birdwatchers as looking like a “flying cross”. The Cooper’s Hawk is seen mostly flying with quick, consecutive wing beats and a short glide, though they may also soar.

Taxonomy

Cooper’s Hawk was first described by French naturalist Charles Lucien Bonaparte in 1828. It is a member of the goshawk genus Accipiter. This bird was named after the naturalist William Cooper, one of the founders of the New York Lyceum of Natural History (later the New York Academy of Sciences) in New York. Other common names; Big Blue Darter, Chicken Hawk, Hen Hawk, Mexican Hawk, Quail Hawk, Striker and Swift Hawk.

Feeding

They typically capture prey from cover or while flying quickly through dense vegetation, relying almost totally on surprise. Most prey are mid-sized birds, with typical prey including American Robins, jays, woodpeckers, European Starlings, icterids and doves. Birds preyed on can range in size from wood-warblers to Ring-necked Pheasants. Cooper’s Hawks also eat small mammals, especially rodents such as chipmunks and tree squirrels. Mammalian prey can be as small as mice and as large as hares.

Distribution and Breeding

Their breeding range extends from southern Canada to northern Mexico. They are generally distributed more to the South than the other North American Accipiters, the Sharp-shinned Hawk and the Northern Goshawk. Birds from most of the Canadian and northern-U.S.-range migrate in winter, and some Cooper’s Hawks winter as far south as Panama). The Cooper’s Hawk prefers to nest in wooded areas adjacent to wide open fields that provide hunting opportunities along their edges.

Their breeding habitat is forested areas. The breeding pair builds a stick nest in large trees. The clutch size is usually 3 to 5 eggs. The cobalt-blue eggs average about 48 x 38 mm (1.9 x 1.5 in) and weigh about 43 g (1.5 oz). The incubation period ranges from 30 to 36 days. The hatchlings are about 28 g (1 oz) and 9 cm (3.8 in) long and are completely covered in white down. They are brooded for about two weeks by the female, while her mate forages for food. The fledging stage is reached at 25 to 34 days of age, though the offspring will return to the nest to be fed for up to 4 more weeks. Eggs and nestlings are preyed on, rarely, by raccoons, crows as well as other competing Cooper’s Hawks. Adults rarely fall prey to Red-tailed Hawks, Great Horned Owls and Northern Goshawks.

Status and conservation

At one time, Cooper’s Hawks were heavily hunted in persecution for preying on poultry and were called “chicken hawks”. It is now known that predation by these hawks on domestic animals borders on negligible, and they are rarely hunted these days. Cooper’s Hawks’ breeding success was also reduced by the use of the pesticide DDT, but the ban of DDT ended that threat. Since then, the adaptable Cooper’s Hawk has thrived.

Photo coming soon.