Of all the habitat features that can attract wildlife to your yard, a pond could be the most rewarding. Most animals need water to drink, and many use water for feeding, bathing, breeding, regulating body heat, resting, and cover. In the Pacific Northwest, the species you are likely to attract...
Of all the snakes in North America, humans probably encounter common
garter snakes most often. There are four types of garter snakes
in Oregon: the common garter snake, western aquatic garter snake, western terrestrial garter snake, and northwestern
garter snake.
The wood duck is so beautiful that its scientific name, Aix sponsa, means
“water bird in bridal dress.” Being so beautiful (and tasty!), by the 1880s, the once-abundant wood duck was disappearing
quickly due to hunting and habitat loss.
The Pacific chorus frog, which used to be known as the Pacific treefrog,
is the most abundant kind (species) of frog in Oregon. Pacific chorus frogs are amphibians, like other frogs, toads, and salamanders. The word amphibian means “double life.” These critters are given this
name because they spend some...
Oregon has 45 species of birds that nest in holes (cavities) in
rotting or dead trees (snags). But, though they are very valuable for
wildlife, many snags in urban areas are cut down
and removed for aesthetic reasons or because they
are considered a hazard. If you have some dead...
Deer grazing outside your window can be a welcome sight, unless
the deer are eating your favorite flowers. Their spring and summer
browsing can kill or severely damage young garden and landscape plants.
Once deer are attracted to your yard, discouraging them is not easy. But, there are ways you...
Feeding wild birds has become one of America’s favorite hobbies.
It’s easy to attract birds to your yard, and there are many different ways to do so. The most common way is to put out bird feeders for them.
Many wild birds such as chickadees, nuthatches, juncos, finches, and
jays...
Bats play an important role in controlling
insect populations. In North America,
bats are the primary predators of night-flying
insects. Some species of bats can capture
several hundred insects an hour, including
insect species that can devastate valuable
plants or crops.
Butterflies are some of the most beautiful, fragile animals in nature, sometimes called “flying flowers.” Butterflies and moths pollinate flowers, and both adults and larvae are an important food source for birds, bats, and other wildlife. Nearly 700 kinds or species occur in North America. About 20 species commonly are...