Wildlife Facts

wild turkey, pilgrims, thanksgiving

Eight Wild Animal Species the Pilgrims Ate—and How They Are Today

[br] The Pilgrims’ first thanksgiving celebration (which lasted three days) probably took place in mid October 1621, after an unexpectedly bountiful harvest. The newcomers invited local Indians—who had given them … Read more

Heading Toward a Record Setting Year for Hudson Bay

After spending the past few days in Churchill, Manitoba, learning about the plight of polar bears in the region, I’ve been trying to come up with a good analogy for … Read more

Sea Ice Breakup Could Hit Polar Bears Hard in Churchill and Elsewhere

The polar bear is one of the earth’s most magnificent animals, and today we saw many of them here on the banks of Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba. Read more

Polar Bear in Churchill

Polar Bear Tours for Everyone

When I found out that National Wildlife Federation was sending me to the polar bear capital of the world to do some work on polar bears, I was pretty excited. … Read more

Coral Damage: How Long Will Gulf Oil Disaster Impacts Linger?

“Decades and decades – if not hundreds of years.” That’s how long it could take coral affected by the Gulf oil disaster to recover, according to NWF Senior Scientist Doug Inkley. Read more

Bird of the Week: Dickcissel

Stroll across a Midwestern prairie anytime between late spring and early fall, and you’ll rarely be out of ear shot of the dickcissel’s distinctive trill: see-see, dick-dick, ciss-ciss-ciss. Stocky, streaked, … Read more

Gulf Oil Spill Symposium: Work Groups Begin Design of Early Warning System for Gulf Wildlife and Habitats

NOTE: this is the second post from the Gulf Oil Spill Symposium. Also see part I, Symposium Looks to Alert Policy Makers to Impacts from Gulf Oil Disaster One glaring … Read more

New Evidence Gulf Oil Disaster Killing Corals

Seven miles from the BP oil gusher, researchers have discovered new evidence of the disaster’s impact on Gulf of Mexico’s ecosystem: Scientists have found evidence of “dramatic” damage to deep-sea … Read more

White-throated sparrow by Pamla Wells

Bird of the Week: White-Throated Sparrow

Iconic winter birds for backyard wildlife enthusiasts across much of the United States, white-throated sparrows already are bringing smiles to our faces as they return from northern breeding grounds and … Read more

Wildlife Could Be The New ‘Homeless, Tempest-Tossed’ As Climate Change Shifts Habitats

According to an article in the online edition of last week’s Science News, climate-change-induced species disruption and environmental displacement is causing major headaches for officials who monitor the movements of non-native invasive wildlife. That in addition to the headaches facing the species themselves. Read more