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
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
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
The American golden plover is a trim, medium-sized shorebird that tends to favor grasslands over shorelines. The species was described as “an aristocrat among birds” by Ira Gabrielson and Frederick Lincoln in their 1959 book “The Birds of Alaska.” This elevated description is owed to the American golden plover’s upright posture and distinctive breeding plumage, which features golden speckled wings set off against a white striped head and neck, black chest and belly.
The nest itself is called a scrape, because it is just a shallow depression in the
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
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
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
On Peru’s pacific coastline, where desert meets sea, lives one of the least studied and most at-risk birds: the Peruvian tern. This bird’s desert camouflage makes it almost impossible to track, but that’s exactly what our team set out to do.
Trained eyes and determination helped us detect the subtle circular depression in
Try not to get ’swamped‘ with these bite-sized facts about American alligators and their crocodilian cousins.
Alligators in some parts of their range dig a depression called a „gator hole“ along
