New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) responded to several recent wildlife rescues in the Hudson Valley, including a Saratoga County turkey apparently hit by a vehicle; and in Dutchess County, eleven ducklings stuck in a storm drain and an orphaned gosling. [Read more…] about Recent Wildlife Rescues: A Turkey, A Gosling, and 11 Ducklings
mallards
Mallard Ducks: An Environmental History Leading to Decline
Most people in New York when asked to picture a duck, they’re thinking of an eastern mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) – the green head, the quack, the pond. But just 90-100 years ago, mallards were not known to breed in New York State. Since the ban of live decoys in the 1930s, mallards have been released and taken over as the preeminent duck of the northern Atlantic Flyway.
After all-time highs in the early 2000s however, we have seen significant declines in eastern mallards. [Read more…] about Mallard Ducks: An Environmental History Leading to Decline
Wildlife Rescuers Save Ducks, Osprey, Alligator & Rattlesnake
On July 30, NYS Environmental Conversation Officer (ECO) Perkins responded to the Bay Shore Marina in Islip, in Suffolk County on Long Island for a report of an injured osprey observed in a parking lot for hours.
Officer Perkins arrived and discovered the bird moving slowly and unable to fly. [Read more…] about Wildlife Rescuers Save Ducks, Osprey, Alligator & Rattlesnake
Recent Wildlife Rescues; Man Guilty of Felony Cruelty
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) made several wildlife rescues recently, including seven mallard ducklings from a storm drain and a juvenile bald eagle which had fallen from its nest. The also charged a Jefferson County man with felony aggravated cruelty to animals and criminal possession of a weapon. What follows are the reports provided by the Department. [Read more…] about Recent Wildlife Rescues; Man Guilty of Felony Cruelty
Montezuma Wetlands Projects Completed
The roughly 50,000-acre Montezuma Wetlands Complex in Central New York is a globally significant Important Bird Area situated at the outlet of Cayuga Lake, and consists of the National Montezuma Wildlife Refuge, the State’s Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area, and lands owned by The Nature Conservancy and other private parties. [Read more…] about Montezuma Wetlands Projects Completed
The Eye-Opening Realm of Avian Sleep
Birds exist in a fluid and unpredictable world. Survival depends on remaining constantly alert, adapting and responding to encounters with predators and environmental conditions that change with the seasons, weather, and geography. But sleep is also essential, providing rest, rejuvenation, and healing.
Normally, day-active (diurnal) animals sleep at night, and night-active (nocturnal) species sleep by day. During the sleep cycle, brain activity diminishes, as do metabolic rate and sensory awareness of an animal’s surroundings. When people (and many forms of wildlife) sleep, both sides of our brains disengage in a process known as bihemispheric slow-wave sleep (BSWS). [Read more…] about The Eye-Opening Realm of Avian Sleep
Wildlife Rescues: A Rattler, Falcon, Fawn, Ducklings & Eagle
New York Almanack regularly reports on wildlife rescues that take place around the state. Recently New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) rescued a number of wild animals from around New York State, including a peregrine falcon in Manhattan, a whitetail deer fawn in the Catskills, ducklings from a storm drain on Long Island, a rattlesnake in Letchworth State Park and a bald eagle at Frank Lloyd Wright’s Graycliff in Erie County. [Read more…] about Wildlife Rescues: A Rattler, Falcon, Fawn, Ducklings & Eagle
Recent Wildlife Rescues by NYS Conservation Officers
New York State Environmental Conservation Officers (ECOs) made several recent wildlife rescues around the state, including a bald eagle in Erie County, a rattlesnake at a Lake George hotel, and a nuisance black bear in Washington County. [Read more…] about Recent Wildlife Rescues by NYS Conservation Officers
Ducklings Rescued From Gulls At Long Island Elementary School
On May 7, Environmental Conservation Officer Christopher DeRose received a call from an elementary school in Suffolk County on Long Island reporting a hen mallard duck and her ducklings in the school’s courtyard. [Read more…] about Ducklings Rescued From Gulls At Long Island Elementary School
Watchable Wildlife: Ausable Marsh
The Ausable Marsh Wildlife Management Area in Peru, Clinton County, NY, offers 660 acres of wildlife habitats, ranging from marsh and sandy dunes to floodplain forest. Located adjacent to Lake Champlain, the Ausable River delta was formed over thousands of years and boasts streams and marshes teeming with wildlife, and is breeding ground for several species of fish, turtles, and frogs. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Ausable Marsh
Buttonbush Is a Boon for Wildlife
As autumn begins and insect populations dwindle, many waterfowl species rely increasingly on seeds as a food source. Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), with its spherical bouquets of seeds now ripening, provides food for an array of ducks, geese, and other wetland denizens. [Read more…] about Buttonbush Is a Boon for Wildlife
Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Located in Allegany County, Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area is a designated Bird Conservation Area (BCA) in the aptly named town of Birdsall.
The 708-acre parcel, located about 13 miles northeast of the village of Angelica and six miles southwest of the Village of Canaseraga, includes nearly 530 acres of shrub swamp, emergent marsh, and open water wetlands and approximately 150 acres of brush and grassland. The area is primarily made up of wetland habitat and is home to a variety of waterfowl and song birds. [Read more…] about Keeney Swamp Wildlife Management Area
Eclipse Plumage: Male Mallards Hiding in Plain Sight
For most of the year, it’s hard to find a pond without at least a few mallards swimming around. These ducks, with their green-headed drakes and streaky brown hens, are among the most common water birds throughout the Northeast.
In spring and fall, mallard flocks are ubiquitous, gobbling up grasses and aquatic plants. In winter, as ice spreads across most ponds, many of these flocks fly south, while the few that remain retreat to open water wherever they can find it. And in summer, if you’re lucky, you might see a female swimming with a trail of downy ducklings behind her. [Read more…] about Eclipse Plumage: Male Mallards Hiding in Plain Sight
Duck Nesting Season
Throughout northeastern North America, ducks are setting up nests and hatching out ducklings. New York State’s
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is in the first year of a four-year effort to better understand mallard movements and how they affect their breeding success. [Read more…] about Duck Nesting Season
Avian Influenza Detected in New York’s Wild Birds; Take Down Feeders
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has confirmed that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus has been found in multiple wild bird species in several areas of New York State.
No known HPAI human infections are documented in the U.S., and according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these recent cases of HPAI do not present an immediate public health concern for most people. However, people in contact with known infected or possibly infected birds should take precautions to protect against infection and avian researchers are concerned that bird baths and bird feeders can help spread the virus and are asking that they be taken down for a few months. [Read more…] about Avian Influenza Detected in New York’s Wild Birds; Take Down Feeders
Banding Study Hopes To Understand Mallard Declines
Over the past 20 years, mallard populations in New York and the Northeast have declined significantly, leading to limits on hunting them starting in 2018.
To understand what factors may be contributing to the decline, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), Pennsylvania Game Commission, Ducks Unlimited, SUNY Brockport, and the University of Saskatchewan partnered with 22 state, federal, and non-governmental organizations to start one of the largest telemetry projects ever conducted in North America. [Read more…] about Banding Study Hopes To Understand Mallard Declines
Bird Collisions With Planes: A New Study Looks At Patterns
Worldwide, the cost of bird collisions with planes has been estimated at $1.2 billion per year. But information on bird movements throughout the year can help avoid damage to aircraft and risk to passengers.
Scientists from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and partners have been looking for patterns in bird strike data from three New York City area airports. Their findings were recently published in the Journal of Applied Ecology. [Read more…] about Bird Collisions With Planes: A New Study Looks At Patterns