May 11, 2020
Watching the
wildlife outside your window can boost your mental well-being, and it’s
something lots of people have been doing a lot more of lately.
Maybe you’ve
been wondering if you’re seeing one persistent gray squirrel or a rotating cast
of furry characters. Maybe you’ve been thinking about which birds are passing
through for the season and which are townies who stick around all year.
As a wildlife ecologist, I’ve learned to pay attention to patterns that show me
what the animals outside my window are up to, and I usually know which
individuals are my regulars. Whether
you’re spying on animals in a city, town or rural area, with a little background
knowledge, you too can keep tabs on the private lives of your neighborhood
critters.
Seasonal
shifts change the players
For many
species, winter is a time when individuals compete less with one another and
gather in large groups. For example,
eastern cottontail rabbits congregate around areas with plenty of food and places to escape to. Birds form large mixed-species flocks, which helps
them better find food and avoid being hunted. They even form temporary
allegiances as they forage together, following specific individuals who
help determine where the flock goes.
 |
| Seasonal migration means the abundance of particular species in one location can change over the course of the year. eBird.org |
As the
season changes to spring, migratory species start arriving. A steady parade of
individuals moves through the neighborhood. As animals transition to their
breeding season, plumage and appearances may change as they work to attract
mates. For many species, defense of a piece of land becomes an
overriding concern.
During the
summer months, adult animal numbers stabilize, and the drive to establish a
territory means you’re likely to have the same individuals active outside your
windows for the majority of summer.
 |
| This white-throated sparrow is molting into breeding plumage before heading on to summer grounds. Julian Avery |
Splitting
up the neighborhood
A territory
is a chunk of habitat. Its size will vary depending on the amount of food and
breeding resources it holds. A territory with few trees, for example, may need
to be bigger to hold enough forage for the animal that owns the turf.
Territory sizes for different species can range from the size of a large kitchen
table (common lizards like green anoles and skinks) to an area greater
than 120 football fields (a raptor such as the Cooper’s hawk). The cool
thing is that animal home ranges are governed by their own needs and
often do not follow the lines of human fences and alleyways.
I like to
think of animal territories as quilts that drape over your neighborhood. For
some species, like anoles, the squares in that quilt will have many small and
intricate pieces, and you could fit many quilt pieces within each individual
human property boundary. Some of those pieces will even overlap other patches.
 |
| A territory map for anoles shows how these lizards each have their own home turf that can overlap with neighbors. Habitat in this case included individual trees and a fallen log toward the bottom of the map which offered basking and display space. Jordan Bush |
Small
songbirds will have quilt patches that span several human properties, though
they may use specific parts more than others. Larger species will have quilt
patches that cover entire neighborhoods with one territory.
Frequently
spotted
If you’ve
become familiar with the animals in your neighborhood, chances are you’ll see
some of the same individuals again year after year. Eastern cottontails are
likely to live up to three years in the wild, and they stay in thesame general territory throughout their lives. Even the young have a
tendency to stay close to their birthplace.
Researchers
have recaptured gray squirrels year after year in their original territories.
On average, these critters survive about six years and can live longer than20. Birds also
have long lives and will often stay in the same territory year after year.
However, when eggs don’t hatch or young die in the nest, some birds may choose
a new territory the following year. This means there can be high turnover in
your local bird network if the local habitat is unpredictable or full ofurban predators.
Birds that
don’t migrate and stay in residence year-round, like chickadees, often
have a tendency to stay in the same area, which means you’ll be seeing
the same individual birds outside your window across seasons.
Some species
will have territories that don’t overlap much at all. For others, the overlapcan be extensive. This means
that generally during the breeding season, you could be watching many gray
squirrels visiting outside your window. There may
also be a couple of male cottontails, but probably a single female because they
tend to not overlap with other females.
Maybe you’ll
spy the same pair of cardinals along with a reliable pair of chickadees. If
you’re watching closely like I was the other day, you may get lucky and catch
another male cardinal from the territory next door trying to flirt with your
female, at least until her mate realizes what’s about to happen. That is a clue
to the invisible lines birds have drawn between their own domains.
When it
comes to smaller animals, like lizards and insects, all bets are off for how
many unique individuals are present outside your window. But you can expect
more of everything as the number of native plants increases.
Tips for
watching
If you’re
interested in trying to keep track of particular wildlife friends through the
window, try to watch for identifying marks.
In my research,
I attach colored bands to bird legs or mark the scales of turtles and
snakes so we
 |
| Natural markings like a torn ear can help you keep track of individuals. Julian Avery |
can figure out how many exist in an area. Many animals have enough
individual variation that you can keep track of them using their natural unique
marks and scars. Squirrels can have torn ears or injured tails, lizards can
have unique scars or healed injuries, and birds can have subtle differences in
color or pattern.
Also try
paying attention to the maximum number you see at any one point. Where do they
go after eating or basking? You may get lucky and spy a nest or resting place.
See if you can spot other individuals coming from different directions and
territories.
At my house,
we had a nest of rabbit kits born under our deck. I thought there was only one
surviving newborn because we never saw more than one offspring. Two weeks
later, there were three babies foraging simultaneously in the yard, and it
became clear that they’d previously been taking turns coming out of hiding.
 |
| Maybe you’ll notice animal families expanding. Julian Avery |
If you start
watching closely, I think you’ll find so much drama happening in your
neighborhood that you may get hooked on the action.
This article
was originally published on The Conversation. It has been reprinted here with
permission from the author and The Conversation
No comments:
Post a Comment