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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Working with others to conserve, protect & enhance fish, wildlife, plants & their habitats.

Even baddies have saddies.Before you DM us with your discovery of a new bird species, stop and make sure that it isn't j...
22/09/2023

Even baddies have saddies.

Before you DM us with your discovery of a new bird species, stop and make sure that it isn't just a juvenile bird. The sad-looking fella in the picture is a juvenile male Northern cardinal. They can look a bit sad until their plumage fully grows in. Adult feathers can take some time to fully develop, and until they do, these youngins will look like the awkward teens that they are.

A hilarious r/unpopularopinion thread on Reddit is, "Baby birds are gross. I'm sorry." While we obviously disagree, we understand why some folks might think young birds aren't the most attractive creatures on the planet. They're born naked with large heads and strange bodies. It just takes them a while to grow into their beauty. Give them some time, and soon, they'll be dazzling us all with their stunning plumage. Shantay you stay, young birds... shantay you stay...

Photo by N. Lewis/NPS

Check out this secretive marsh bird!American Bitterns are not commonly seen but can be quite common in dense cattail mar...
22/09/2023

Check out this secretive marsh bird!

American Bitterns are not commonly seen but can be quite common in dense cattail marshes across North America. The bittern often “hides” in the reeds by standing up straight with its head and bill pointed to the sky, making it difficult to spot! Occasionally, you can get lucky and find one standing out in the open.

Photo: American bittern by Scott Somershoe/USFWS

Hey, owl our fall fanatics. In honor of the autumnal equinox, let’s try a little fall mindfulness to calm the body and g...
22/09/2023

Hey, owl our fall fanatics. In honor of the autumnal equinox, let’s try a little fall mindfulness to calm the body and get ready for the weekend.

Pick your favorite perch. Not really, you should sit on a log or on the ground. Now close your eyes and breathe. Feel the air. Is it cool or warm? Is there a breeze? How about a misting rain? Do you hear a crunch of footsteps in the distance or the wing beat of a bird landing in a nearby tree? Maybe a squirrel scurries by.

Wildlife refuges are a great place to get in the moment and feel the changing seasons. Find a wildlife refuge near you to explore or simply sit and be. Wishing you all a happy autumnal equinox!

Photo of Barred owl in tree by Mike Carlo/USFWS.

If you could only be one, which would you choose?Happy as a clam 😃Moved as a mussel 🤗Content as a conch shell 😌Mellow as...
22/09/2023

If you could only be one, which would you choose?
Happy as a clam 😃
Moved as a mussel 🤗
Content as a conch shell 😌
Mellow as a mollusk ☺️

21/09/2023

Do you remember the 21st night of September? Elk do because it's the beginning of rut!

It’s that time of year when the bugling calls of the male elk echo through the fall air. From mid-September to mid-October, male elk, also called bulls, signal mating season with a series of deep, resonant tones that rise rapidly to a high-pitched squeal before dropping to a series of grunts. The bulls will wallow in mud and cover themselves in their own pungent urine (FUN!). They'll use their large antlers to challenge other bulls and assert their dominance.

Have you ever experienced elk rut or heard their eerie bugling?

Video by USFWS
Video description: A male elk charges into a herd of female elk. The bull elk bugles loudly as the females run away.

Don’t be weary... ESTUARY✨🌅 🌊 Mix it up! If variety is the spice of life, then estuaries are life’s mixing bowl. Estuari...
21/09/2023

Don’t be weary... ESTUARY✨

🌅 🌊 Mix it up! If variety is the spice of life, then estuaries are life’s mixing bowl. Estuaries are where fresh water meets salty ocean, creating conditions for delicate yet dynamic life-supporting ecosystems.

🔋 Protect your energy. Estuaries are the sites of enormous energy transfers between land and sea. In coastal marshes, decaying plant and animal nutrients wash to estuaries during high tidal periods.

🐳 Nurture. Fish, shellfish, invertebrates, migratory birds, bears, and marine mammals are some creatures that spend at least a portion of their lifecycle among estuaries. Spawning salmon use or pass through estuaries and waterfowl rest and fuel up for migration.

Filters are helpful 😉. Estuaries filter pollutants and sediments from creeks, streams, and rivers before water joins the ocean, benefiting both marine life and people.

🌎 . Estuaries enrich everybody. They are vital to plant and animal communities, and humans depend on them for their ways of life. Protect and estuaries at home by disposing toxic chemicals responsibly, planting native plants, and conserving water. On the water, dispose of waste properly, maintain your boat, and leave no trace.

Photo by Steve Hillebrand/USFWS. A glacial river branches out in a broad coastal delta and meets the North Pacific Ocean at Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge.

Whooping cranes are on the move! And this fall, more of the majestic “snowbirds” could be flying south than at any time ...
21/09/2023

Whooping cranes are on the move! And this fall, more of the majestic “snowbirds” could be flying south than at any time in recent history. Around 536 wild whoopers just finished summering in the Canadian wilderness. Now these birds and their young will be cruising south through the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma on their 2,450 mile journey to winter at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas Coast. Those living in the flyway might see whoopers touching down at local wetlands for food and rest. To spot one, look for the long-neck, red cap, black-tipped wings and little mustache. You won’t miss them – they are “as tall as a man and sing like a cracked calliope.”

Photos: Klaus Nigge

21/09/2023

There are four seasons.

Spring, summer, fall, and the one without mosquitoes. Which is your favorite?

Ah, the awkward phase! Juvenile male rose-breasted grosbeaks look like an interesting mix of adult male and female pluma...
21/09/2023

Ah, the awkward phase! Juvenile male rose-breasted grosbeaks look like an interesting mix of adult male and female plumage. The red-breasted nuthatch is just here grabbing a snack and bearing witness.

📷 Courtney Celley/USFWS

Migration season for birds has been POPPIN! In California alone, about 2.6 million birds migrated through the state last...
20/09/2023

Migration season for birds has been POPPIN! In California alone, about 2.6 million birds migrated through the state last night, according to BirdCast.

Here's how you can help our feathered friends during migration: Turn off non-essential lights during migration season to lessen the harmful impacts of light pollution.

Migrating birds can become disoriented and confused by artificial light, causing them to collide with buildings and other structures. The simple act of dimming or turning off lights can save the lives of birds as they make their annual journey.

Photos by Nora Papian/USFWS

20/09/2023

Baby mountain goat zoomies!

Imagine taking a hike into the mountains outside Leadville, Colorado and getting to experience a baby mountain goat skipping and jumping in the snow. That's exactly what happened to Marceleno Diaz on a recent hike.

"I was just blown away because I've never seen goats at 14,000 feet. It was amazing to see this baby goat acting like any other child, just playing in the snow. It was such a beautiful moment I started crying after the video. Nature is so beautiful, and I am so lucky to be able to witness it here. Part of the reason I take videos and pictures like this is because I think about how global warming will change the environment in which these animals and plants live in. Mountain ecosystems are so delicate, and I'm afraid that one day I won't be able to share moments like this anymore. I want to be able to remember what our planet is capable of when I’m old and wrinkly, and hopefully, one day, it will heal again, and nature will be more diverse than ever before."

Thanks so much to Marceleno for sharing this amazing wildlife experience with us.

Video by Marceleno Diaz
Video description: A baby mountain goat skips and hops in the snow high up on a rocky mountain. The text on the video says, "Zoomies begin in...5, 4, 3, 2, 1."

The black-capped vireo is the smallest and objectively cutest member of the vireo family found in the United States, and...
20/09/2023

The black-capped vireo is the smallest and objectively cutest member of the vireo family found in the United States, and they are in their comeback era.

These migratory songbirds were once on the brink of extinction, with only an estimated 350 individuals left in the wild. Thanks to continued conservation efforts from various partners, the protection of the Endangered Species Act, and this little guy’s impeccable game, they now number over 22,000.

Photo: Kenny Seals

Calling all self-proclaimed nature geeks. We think you would like visiting National Wildlife Refuges. If any of these 6 ...
20/09/2023

Calling all self-proclaimed nature geeks. We think you would like visiting National Wildlife Refuges. If any of these 6 are you, then wildlife refuges are your place to shine. Wear (or share) your badge of honor proudly. We’re here for you, and there are 568 national wildlife refuges where you'll feel at home.

Don't hole up this weekend. Get out and enjoy National Public Lands Day (NPLD)!Most USFWS national wildlife refuges don'...
20/09/2023

Don't hole up this weekend. Get out and enjoy National Public Lands Day (NPLD)!

Most USFWS national wildlife refuges don't charge an entrance fee, but the handful that do are fee-free this Saturday, Sept. 23rd. All U.S. Department of the Interior public lands sites are waiving entrance fees this Saturday in honor of NPLD.

It's the biggest volunteer day of the year! Hundreds of thousands of people show up to public lands across the U.S. to volunteer for litter pickups, beach cleanups, habitat restoration events, etc. Check out the comments for more information on events taking place across the country.

Join us and hoo, hoo, hoo knows what you'll discover at a wildlife refuge near you.

Photo of an eastern screech owl at Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge by Ralph Cooper (sharetheexperience).

20/09/2023

Celebrating the 1 year anniversary of this post 💘

Can you tell the difference between a ground squirrel and a chipmunk? One is cute and the other is also cute!Chipmunks a...
19/09/2023

Can you tell the difference between a ground squirrel and a chipmunk? One is cute and the other is also cute!

Chipmunks are members of the squirrel family, and there are around 24 species in North America, most of which live in western states. They have stripes that extend onto their faces. Some other members of the squirrel family are small and striped as well, like the golden-mantled ground squirrel or the antelope squirrels, but their stripes end before they reach their faces.

Photos: James N. Stuart, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 flic.kr/s/aHsiTTbBKA. The white-tailed antelope squirrel was photographed in Nevada, while all other species pictured here were photographed in New Mexico.

My job is just … bugs Job satisfaction for the Great Plains toad: 10/10! 🐸  I may be expressionless, but I think my job ...
19/09/2023

My job is just … bugs

Job satisfaction for the Great Plains toad: 10/10! 🐸 I may be expressionless, but I think my job is toad-ally awesome. Humans are pretty appreciative of my work, and I like that.

I’m hungry for insects and help to decrease populations of many insects that humans find pesky and damage crops. Plus, I add to the night chorus in summer with a long chattering trill.

I can be seen from Alberta, Canada, down through the Great Plains states to Texas, and over into New Mexico and Arizona. I'll soon dig a burrow below the frost line and snuggle in for winter in places like Heine Waterfowl Production Area in Dickey County, North Dakota.

With heavy hearts, we must report that we saw a dark-eyed junco yesterday. Sure, we love and miss them, but it does feel...
19/09/2023

With heavy hearts, we must report that we saw a dark-eyed junco yesterday. Sure, we love and miss them, but it does feel a bit soon.

Dark-eyed juncos can be found in parts of the east, midwest and west year-round, but most of the country only sees them in the winter. Across much of Alaska and Canada, juncos are typically only spotted during the summer, with some that stay put year-round in the west.

📷 Courtney Celley/USFWS

18/09/2023

Happy Monday and happy new home, light-footed Ridgway's rails!

Video shows our staff and partners releasing endangered light-footed Ridgway's rails near a wetland habitat.

18/09/2023

POV: You're an eastern fox snake pretending to be a danger noodle. 🐍

When you're a non-venomous eastern fox snake, sometimes it's beneficial to make predators think you are spicy. Fox snakes are excellent pest control specialists around our homes. Unfortunately, humans often mistake this harmless snake friend for a venomous copperhead due to its head color. Dressing up as a copperhead is a great costume idea and a great way to get predators to steer clear. 🎃

A big thanks to Kimberly Jean for letting us share her amazing video.
Video description: A large snake with spots is curled up and waving its body back and forth.

What's in my bag? Refuge edition!Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge shares what's in their toolkit for fire...
18/09/2023

What's in my bag? Refuge edition!

Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge shares what's in their toolkit for fire management. When you're managing over 15,000 acres of land, you need a toolkit built for success to lessen the negative impacts of wildfires.

Check out what's in their bag: https://ow.ly/pHvv50PMR3j

Photo: A white-tailed deer at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge by USFWS

Get to know Puerto Rico’s migratory and waterfall-climbing Sicydium gobies! These amphidromous fishes are an essential p...
18/09/2023

Get to know Puerto Rico’s migratory and waterfall-climbing Sicydium gobies! These amphidromous fishes are an essential part of Caribbean streams and artisanal fisheries. They also have a built-in suction cup! 😮

Catch all the deets on our latest episode of Fish of the Week!: https://ow.ly/Paz150PMyfJ. Yes, we have a ; no you don't need to be a complete fish nerd to enjoy it 🤓🐟

📷 Ceti/Sirajo Goby (Sicydium plumieri) by Patrick Cooney
📷 Spotted Algae-eating Goby (Sicydium punctatum) by Remy Dubas (CC by NC4.0)
📷 Busck’s Stone-biting Goby (Sicydium buscki) by Mark Henry Sabaj (CC by NC4.0)

You've heard of butterfly migration, but how about dragonfly migration?With a 4-inch wing span, some green darners can m...
18/09/2023

You've heard of butterfly migration, but how about dragonfly migration?

With a 4-inch wing span, some green darners can migrate more than 80 miles per day, with some traveling from Canada all the way to Mexico. Migration is more concentrated in the fall, sometimes resulting in swarms of dragonflies!

📷 Jim Hudgins/USFWS

Babe, the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest winner was just announced!Congratulations to Chuck Black of Belgrade, Mont...
16/09/2023

Babe, the 2023 Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest winner was just announced!

Congratulations to Chuck Black of Belgrade, Montana, with a dazzling oil painting of a northern pintail! Black’s painting will be made into the 2024-2025 Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp.

Second place goes to Adam Grimm of Wallace, South Dakota, with an acrylic painting of a northern pintail pair.

Third place goes to Gerald Mobley of Claremore, Oklahoma, with an acrylic painting of a northern pintail!

Black’s oil painting will be made into the 2024-2025 Duck Stamp, which will go on sale in late June 2024. Federal Duck Stamp sales to hunters, bird watchers, outdoor enthusiasts and collectors have raised more than $1.2 billion to conserve over 6 million acres of habitat for birds and other wildlife. Congrats to all the winners!

Images © USFWS

Good morning duckies! We're back for day 2 of the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Watch all the exciting action on our Y...
16/09/2023

Good morning duckies! We're back for day 2 of the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Watch all the exciting action on our YouTube channel. Judging will start at 10:00 a.m. CT/11:00 a.m. ET.

The Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest is one of the most successful conservation programs in our nation’s history. Since its inception in 1934, sales of the Duck Stamp have generated over $1.2 billion that has conserved more than 6 million acres of wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife. Purchasing Duck Stamps is a direct way to support conservation! 🦆

Photo: (c) U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2023!As we celebrate the cultures, languages, and contributions of the Hispani...
15/09/2023

Help us celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2023!

As we celebrate the cultures, languages, and contributions of the Hispanic and Latino communities, we recognize their rich histories that contribute to America’s conservation and environmental stewardship. From early explorers to modern-day leaders, Hispanic Americans have influenced America’s culture and played an important role in society. Discover some public lands that preserve the history of Hispanic heritage: https://ow.ly/VmYj50PLLyc

Photo of woman on the beach at San Diego National Wildlife Refuge by USFWS
Photo of San Franciso Bay National Wildlife Complex by Ivette Lopez/USFWS
Photo of juvenile Swainson's hawk at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge by Barbara Stewart-Hager/USFWS

Following a statewide voter-led initiative passed in November 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is moving forward...
15/09/2023

Following a statewide voter-led initiative passed in November 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is moving forward with designating an experimental population of gray wolves in Colorado under section 10(j) of the Endangered Species Act. Learn more: https://ow.ly/va6y50PM5tv

Photo: Gray wolf by USFWS

What do you get when you cross a spider and an ear of corn? Cobwebs.  Spider web at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge ...
15/09/2023

What do you get when you cross a spider and an ear of corn? Cobwebs.

Spider web at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/blackwater) in Maryland. 📷: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

An enemy of mosquitoes is a friend of mine!Solitary sandpipers spend summers across much of Alaska and Canada and winter...
15/09/2023

An enemy of mosquitoes is a friend of mine!

Solitary sandpipers spend summers across much of Alaska and Canada and winters across much of Central and South America. Many of us see them hunting for insects, including mosquito larvae, during migration.

📷 courtesy of Gordon Garcia

Good morning duckies! Watch all the exciting day 1 action of the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Judging will start at 1...
15/09/2023

Good morning duckies! Watch all the exciting day 1 action of the Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest. Judging will start at 10:00 a.m. CT/11:00 a.m. ET. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEHFHvSt2lQ

The Federal Duck Stamp Art Contest is one of the most successful conservation programs in our nation’s history. Since its inception in 1934, sales of the Duck Stamp have generated over $1.2 billion that has conserved more than 6 million acres of wetland habitat for birds and other wildlife. Purchasing Duck Stamps is a direct way to support conservation! 🦆

FOR ARTISTS, SPECTATORS AND CONSERVATIONISTS Friday, September 15. Judging will start at 10:00 a.m. CT/11:00 a.m. ET each morning. Taping will end at the con...

Oooooo, shiny thing!Dear readers, please let us introduce you to the dogbane beetle. This VERY distracting insect is a b...
14/09/2023

Oooooo, shiny thing!

Dear readers, please let us introduce you to the dogbane beetle. This VERY distracting insect is a beacon of beauty. Its diet consists mainly of... you guessed it, dogbane plants. This plant can be toxic to humans, but the dogbane beetle is like, no problem y'all, I can totally eat this.

This iridescent olive with legs has the ability to ingest and process the cardenolides found in dogbane plants, a toxin that is dangerous to humans and other organisms. The beetles can store the cardenolides in their glands and release it when a predator attacks.

Photo at Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge by Andrew Birkey (sharetheexperience)

Jacobson's organ isn't a musical instrument. It's a special chemoreceptor snakes use to learn more about the world aroun...
14/09/2023

Jacobson's organ isn't a musical instrument. It's a special chemoreceptor snakes use to learn more about the world around them. It's not quite smell and not quite taste, but something else. They flick out their tongues and bring molecules like pheromones into the organ on the roof of their mouths. They can use this information to find prey, avoid predators, and communicate with other members of their species.

Photo: Tom Benson, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 flic.kr/p/nC5iVY

📸 Sometimes, the best family photo is, well, the one you can get.   ✨Still, this colony of sea lions looks pretty stella...
14/09/2023

📸 Sometimes, the best family photo is, well, the one you can get.

✨Still, this colony of sea lions looks pretty stellar! Known as qawax (Aleut), wiinaq (Alutiiq), and their scientific name, Eumetopias jubatus, they can be found in summers in Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge at their terrestrial rookeries where they mate, rest, and birth, and at haul-out sites at other times of the year when not in water. The refuge provides the endangered western range of Steller sea lions with protected habitat like beaches, rock outcroppings, and remote islands to support their return to healthy population sizes.

Photo by Tom Collopy/Mary Frische/USFWS

14/09/2023

Controversial opinion:
Robins are kind of the best bird. Change our mind.

Good news! With our combined efforts and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe’s decades of dedication recovering listed fishes ...
13/09/2023

Good news! With our combined efforts and the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe’s decades of dedication recovering listed fishes of Pyramid Lake, we’re addressing the long-standing barrier to fish migration along the Truckee River at Numana Dam in Nevada.

Improving fish passage at Numana Dam will open 65 miles of the Truckee River to the endangered Cui-ui sucker and newly established migration of the threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout from Pyramid Lake.

Both species are culturally very important to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. Recovering the iconic population of Lahontan cutthroat trout at Pyramid Lake also provides a unique recreational angling experience that is recognized locally, nationally and internationally as a world class fishery. The restoration of this population provides economic benefit to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and local communities.

These efforts were made possible by Bipartisan Infrastructural Law funding: https://ow.ly/tjuJ50PLnb5

As birds continue their fall migration, be sure to help our feathered friends. Turning off non-essential lights during m...
13/09/2023

As birds continue their fall migration, be sure to help our feathered friends. Turning off non-essential lights during migration season can lessen the harmful impacts of light pollution.

Migrating birds can become disoriented and confused by artificial light, causing them to collide with buildings and other structures. The simple act of dimming or turning off lights can save the lives of birds as they make their annual journey.

Photo: USFWS

One, two-hooo… You won’t find a barn owl eating lollipops! They hunt small rodents like mice and rats. You also won’t he...
13/09/2023

One, two-hooo…

You won’t find a barn owl eating lollipops! They hunt small rodents like mice and rats. You also won’t hear them hoot like other owls but scream, hiss, and purr instead.

Photo: James N Stuart, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 flic.kr/p/bDmKqW

POV: The wind blows, and your crush turns to look at you. Love at first sight. That is not love in the great horned owl'...
13/09/2023

POV: The wind blows, and your crush turns to look at you. Love at first sight.

That is not love in the great horned owl's eyes. It is xanthopterin, an uncommon pigment found in this species eyes, resulting in a brighter tone of yellow than other owls. These owls are known for their spectacular night vision. The special photoreceptors in their eyes, known as rods, help the owl see in low-light conditions. Because these rod cells make their eyes sensitive to light changes, they can dilate and constrict their pupil quickly.

📍: Great-horned owl at Julia Butler Hansen for the Columbian white-tailed deer (https://ow.ly/rNxZ50PIRh0) National Wildlife Refuge in Washington.
📷: Jake Bonello/U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Did we ever settle the age-old question, "what does the fox say?"Foxes actually make a lot of sounds including a variety...
13/09/2023

Did we ever settle the age-old question, "what does the fox say?"

Foxes actually make a lot of sounds including a variety of contact, interaction and alarm calls. Contact calls are often made as two foxes approach each other and sound a bit like a high-pitched bark. Interaction calls reflect the status of the fox and can be submissive or aggressive. Alarm calls are most often made by a parent to warn young. During mating season, females also have a scream-like call to attract males.

📷 Lisa Hupp/USFWS

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I am against a partnership with the NRA to train hunters to kill more wildlife. We face a crisis in health and the environment because of the destruction we continue to create by destroying keystone predators and wild life. This is not a viable plan for our future.
Utterly appalling! How do you even put "Conserving the Nature of America" on the same page as "Signs MOU to Recruit, Retain and Retrain Hunters in Partnership with NRA"?

https://tinyurl.com/y55jyhot
Found it!
USFWS Member heads out on patrol at the Parker River Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island, Massachusetts on January 13th, 2021
The Arctic Refuge that is at risk of being leased off before the next inauguration.

Please oppose to opening the last 5% of Alaska's North Slope to oil and gas exploration and risking the lives of threatened polar bears.

Visit the link and help !"
Great for a stocking stuffer just not for hunting but for conservation and the habitat show the love this Christmas promote habitat conservation the critters will thank you
A story about condor encounters in Big Sur and Pinnacles National Park, California:
American bison @ Custer State Park, SD
Has Wisdom the oldest banded bird been back since you posted a few years ago?
It's nuts...I'm seeing salmon in the ditch along Benson Road in Lynden and in Double Ditch near the border....and we're talking several pretty nice fish.
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