species at risk for extinction and to dissect the underlying causes of inbreeding depression
species at risk for extinction and to dissect the underlying causes of inbreeding depression
The American avocet is a large, migratory shorebird that forages for food in wetlands, marshes, tidal flats and shallow lakes and ponds. They have long bluish legs, a long neck and a thin, long, upturned black bill.
Pairs build their nest together by scraping a shallow depression into the bare ground
Male peafowl, also called peacocks, are instantly recognizable with their striking tail feathers. Revered in their original range country of India, peafowl have spread around the world as symbols of wealth and power. They are the largest member of the pheasant family.
The peahen lays four to eight eggs in a depression scratched on the ground and hidden
A bit of a warm-weather duck, blue-winged teals seem to spend more time on their wintering grounds in Central and South American than any other dabbling duck in the Americas. These small dabbling ducks are often seen in pairs or small groups at the edges of ponds and lakes.
Once the site is chosen, the female blue-winged teal will create a shallow depression
The northern shoveler is an easily recognizable duck due to the shovel-shaped bill that inspired its name. Their bill, one of the largest of any waterfowl, is specialized for skimming the water’s surface for small invertebrates and aquatic plants.
She twists her body against the ground to form a shallow depression, or scrape, which
Emus are large, flightless birds resembling and related to ostriches. They are native to Australia.
The nest, made of leaves, grass and bark is a shallow depression next to low brush
Famous from innumerable trips to the seaside as well as Pixar’s short film Piper, sanderlings are the most prevalent sandpiper in the world. On almost any gentle, sandy beach, the little birds you see running back and forth are probably going to be sanderlings.
Females build the nests without help from males, digging a small shallow depression
One of the most widespread duck species, northern pintails have extensive migratory routes. Habitat loss poses the biggest threat to this duck. As their wetland and prairie habitats are converted and fragmented, northern pintail populations continue to decrease.
Females create a shallow depression in the ground and line it with grasses, leaves
The American alligator is a large crocodilian with an armored body, short legs, a muscular tail and a long, rounded snout. This reptile nearly went extinct but is now considered a conservation success story.
They excavate a depression called a „gator hole“ along a waterway to be used when
If you haven’t yet heard—or perhaps a little bird told you already—the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Bird House exhibit has once again opened its doors to the public as of March 2023.
remain on the building’s exterior; they were originally commissioned during the Depression
