Hear Wildlife Roar!

Support NWF’s Adopt a Wildlife Acre Program through Animal Planet’s ROAR Campaign

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Next time you take a step outside, pause and listen. If you take a moment, you may hear the singing of songbirds, barks of foxes, chatter of squirrels – wildlife are all around us, calling to one another.

Depending where you are located, you’re more likely to hear the call of certain animals. Out west, for instance, you can find a wide array of wildlife whose calls make up the natural sounds of the prairie, forests, and grasslands. The National Wildlife Federation is helping conserve these important wild places through our Adopt-a-Wildlife-Acre program which seeks to give wildlife more room to roam throughout the Northern Rockies and Yellowstone National Park.

In support of NWF’s Adopt-a-Wildlife-Acre program, Animal Planet’s ROAR campaign is highlighting the National Wildlife Federation and other non-profits dedicated to improving the lives of animals in our communities and in the wild.

Let’s see where you can hear some “roaring” wildlife:

Bobcat

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Inhabiting a large portion of North America, bobcats are the most common wildcat found in the United States. Bobcats make distinctive noises that include a mixture of growling, snarling and hissing. You’re most likely to hear a bobcat call during their mating and breeding season which typically lasts from February to May.

Red Fox

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What does the fox say? Well, a red fox usually can be heard barking to communicate. Scientists believe each fox has a unique bark, although to us their barks mostly all sound like a shrill dog bark. Since red foxes have adapted well to suburban and rural communities, people can find them and hear them throughout most of the United States. Towards the end of winter and spring, female foxes or vixens are known for being able to make the loudest calls signaling to males that they are ready to breed.

Sandhill Crane

A greater sandhill crane feeds in the wetlands at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by USFWS
A greater sandhill crane feeds in the wetlands at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Photo by USFWS

Although known more for their courting dance moves, sandhill cranes also make interesting and distinctive loud calls. Both the males and females make a rattling “kar-r-r-r- o-o-o” sound which can resemble a trumpeting sound. The call varies in length, strength and loudness depending on the bird’s intention. The loudest and most noticeable call is during the mating season when males and females will sing loudly and in unison. Wildlife seekers can find sandhill cranes in different places depending on the season. The birds winter in the south, migrate through the mid-west of the United States, and spend summers at their breeding grounds in the north and Canada.

Bison

Bison in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Abby Barber/ NWF
Bison in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Abby Barber/ NWF

As the largest terrestrial animal in North America, bison are known for making loud grunting noises to communicate with one another. They can also growl and snort. Before human intervention, bison once ranged over much of North America, including central Canada and most of the interior U.S. Today, bison are only wild in national parks, state parks and reserves.

With your help, we can continue to preserve the calls of the wild by protecting wildlife and their territories. Donating to the National Wildlife Federation through Animal Planet’s ROAR campaign today will help ensure important habitat is safeguarded for wild bighorn sheep, bison, grizzly bears, wolves and other wildlife. Also vote for us in the fan favorite poll!

Give NowSupport NWF’s Adopt a Wildlife Acre Program through Animal Planet’s ROAR Campaign now!