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BIRDS AND MAMMALSNATIVE TOPENNSYLVANIA FORESTSPresented by:
Kristin HummerChristine Keim
August 13, 2010
Applying Wildlife & Natural Resources to the Classroom
MSE 820.28
Pennsylvania Forestry Facts
PA’s nearly 17 million acres of forest land
provides recreation opportunites, wood
products, clean air and water, and is the habitat
for many plants and animals
National forest planning effort themes:
~conserve working forests
~protect forests from harm
~enhance public benefits from forests
Pennsylvania Forestry
Pennsylvania’s Forest Uses
Coniferous Trees
Official state tree of PA Found in cool, moist
woods Population declining
rapidly due to Woolly Adelgid
One of the most valued timber trees
Found in moist or dry woods
Eastern Hemlock Eastern White Pine
Coniferous Trees
Medium-sized tree commonly found throughout PA in sandy soil
High resin content makes the lumber good for construction and railroad ties
Slow growing, but long lived tree
Wood is used for fence posts and moth-proof chests
Pitch Pine Eastern Red Cedar
Deciduous Trees
Large tree grows to 80 ft. on dry slopes and ridgetops
Large crops of acorns produced every 4 – 7 yrs.
Wood is not as valuable as other oaks; tends to split
Typically found in wet sites and grows to 60 feet
Chestnut Oak Pin Oak
Deciduous Trees
Wood is used for furniture and musical instruments
Sap is tapped for maple syrup production
Found in moist woods and stream banks
Reaches 50 – 60 ft. high
Sugar Maple Silver Maple
Deciduous Trees
Tallest of the eastern hardwoods
Valuable wood for veneer
Grows 70 – 80 ft. tall Strong, hard wood used for
tool handles Valuable fuel wood and used to
smoke meat
Tulip Poplar Shagbark Hickory
Pennsylvania’s Forest Threats
Discovered in PA in 1932 and is responsible for millions of acres of defoliation yearly.
Discovered in Pennsylvania is late 1960’s and is a serious pest of the Eastern Hemlock.
This caterpillar is a threat to many forests causing defoliation of hardwood trees. Major outbreaks recorded in PA since mid-1930’s.
Mammals of Pennsylvania Forests
There are many different
types of mammals that reside
in the PA forests, some of
which are featured here….
Black Bears
Largest carnivore in Pennsylvania
Average weight of adult is 200-400 lbs.
Diet: fruits, nuts, berries, roots, rodents, insects, small mammals, fish
Generally a solitary animal unless mother with cubs
State’s population estimated at 15,000
White-tailed Deer
In Pennsylvania, average adult buck weighs 140 lbs.
Can run at 40 mph for short bursts; can maintain 25 mph longer
Capable of clearing obstacles up to 9 ft. high or 25 ft. wide
Herbivores
Bobcat
Pennsylvania’s only feline predator
Avg. weight =15-20 lbs. Avg. length = 36 inches Mainly nocturnal Gray-brown fur with
dark spots and bars Diet: mice, rats,
shrews, squirrels, birds, rabbits, etc.
In 2000, population estimated around 3,500
Gray Squirrel
PA’s most common type of squirrel
Adult = 1 to 1.5 lbs. Diet = acorns, nuts,
berries, mushrooms, corn, seed, etc.
Can only see in shades of black and white, but able to detect movement well
Gray squirrels prefer a deciduous forest with a variety of trees
Raccoon
Size: 28-38 inches and weigh 10 – 30 pounds
Omnivorous = fruits, berries, nuts, corn, worms, insects fish, frogs and rodents
Nocturnal Strong climbers &
swimmers Excellent senses of
smell, hearing, and sight
Eastern Chipmunk
Size: 8-10 inches long (including tail) and 2.5 – 4 oz.
Omnivorous Can transfer large
amount of food in cheeks (ex. 70 sunflower seeds!)
Prefers open deciduous forest with stumps and logs
Mainly ground dwellers, but can climb trees
Porcupine
N. America’s 2nd largest rodent (beaver is largest)
Size = 9 – 15 lbs. and about 30” long (incl. tail)
When threatened, turns back, flails quills back and forth…not able to throw quills
Top speed on ground is 2 mph
Poor sight and hearing; stronger sense of smell
Opossum
One of our world’s oldest species of mammal
N. America’s only marsupial
Size = 24 – 40” long and weigh 4 – 12 lbs.
50 teeth (more than any other N. American mammal)
Omnivores Seldom spends 2 back-to-
back nights in same den “Plays possum” ~limp and
motionless when threatened
Shrew
Insectivores 7 shrew species
within Pennsylvania Active year-round Eat continuously Range in size from
Pygmy (about 3” long)
to Short-tailed (about 4 – 5” long)
Shrews have 5 toes per foot; mice only 4 toes per foot
Elk
177 Elk released by PA Game Commission between 1913 – 1926
Found in Elk and Cameron counties; starting to be seen in Clinton, Clearfield, and Potter counties
Bull = 600 – 1,000 lbs. Female = 500 – 600 lbs. Can reach speeds of 30 mph Able to jump and swim Usual diet: aspen, red maple,
oak Lifespan up to 20 yrs.
Bats
9 species of bats in PA Hibernate through
winter Insectivores Inhabit wooded areas
near lakes, streams, and fields
Most bats only have one offspring per year
Nurse and are full-size and self-sufficient by 6 wks. of age
Only mammal that flies
Eastern Coyote
Largest canine in PA Males = 45 – 50 lbs. Females = 35 – 40 lbs. Usually yellow eyes Fur varies in color (blonde,
reddish, gray, brown, black) Often live along edge of forest
& clearcuts Diet = deer, rabbits,
woodchucks, rodents, fruit, and plant material
Population in 1995 was 15-20,000 and growing
Fox
8-12 lbs./22-25” in length
Reddish-orange, long fur
Black ears White-tipped tail Nocturnal predator Habitat = edge of
woods
7-13 lbs./ 21-29” in length Gray/buff, coarse fur Black striped tail/black tip Nocturnal predator Habitat = brushy areas &
mountainous terrain
Red Fox Gray Fox
Fisher
Member of weasel family Tree-climber Unlikely to stray from
heavily forested areas (both conifer & mixed)
Solitary predator Common diet: rodents
porcupine, chipmunks Population is growing
due to better forestry laws on trapping & timbering
Size of average house cat
Birds of Pennsylvania Forests
Classifications:
Ground birds Tree-clinging birds Perchers Owls Raptors
There are many bird
species that reside
in our Pennsylvania
forests…over 25 of
which are featured
here.
Ground BirdsEastern Wild Turkey
Official state bird since 1931
Have decreased in population since early 1900s
Flocks roost in trees for the night – sometimes as many as 40 birds in the same tree!
Range up to several miles a day
Have sharp eyesight and hearing; make many different calls
Eat insects, spiders, snails, slugs, nuts, seeds, fruits
“Ruffed” comes from a ruff of iridescent black feathers the circle the neck
Only flies short distances; top speed 20 mph
Inhabit areas with ground cover: immature forests with mountain laurel, greenbrier, witchazel, etc.
Ruffed Grouse
Ground Birds
Nocturnal bird with big eyes and long bill
Nicknamed “timberdoodle” and “mudsnipe”
Favorite food is earthworms, but also eats insects and spiders; eats its weight in food each day (about 7 oz.)
Very vocal birds with a variety of at least 10 different calls
Nocturnal bird with large eyes and wide mouths, used for scooping up insects in mid-air
Perches lengthwise on branches or on the ground and waits to fly up and catch its prey
Named for the male’s repetitive calling: a sharp “whip,” “poor” falling away, with a high-pitched “will” at the end
Whip-poor-willWoodcock
Tree-clinging Birds
DownyPileated
9 out of 45 species live in PA (more than 200 worldwide)
Feed mainly on wood-boring grubs, insects, insect eggs
Also consume sap, nuts, and fruits of some shrubs & trees
Have a sharp, strong bill with a special tip for chipping and digging into tree trunks
Their tongues are twice as long as their head and have barbed tips to grab larvae after chopping
Stiff, pointed tail feathers support its body while hammering with beak
Woodpeckers
Tree-clinging BirdsNuthatch
White-breasted
Red-breasted
Name comes from the way these birds “hack” nuts apart using their short, strong pointed bills
Wedge acorns and hickory nuts into tree bark, then hammer the shells off with their beaks
Eat nuts, spiders, and insects Inhabit deciduous forests Climb up and down trees in
quick motions, even hand from the underside of limbs
PerchersAmerican Crow Black-Capped Chickadee
Intelligent and adaptable
Weighs 20 oz.; 15-18 in. long; wingspan is 3 ft
All black – from feet to bill – with iridescent feathers
Food: insects, worms, grain, fruit, eggs and young of other birds, and the carcasses of road-killed animals in the winter
Black head and chin, 5 in. long Strong legs help them to hop
around in trees and cling to branches while feeding
Call: “chick-a-dee-dee-dee” Eat insects, spiders, snails,
berries, seeds, and animal fat
Store food in bark crevices and knotholes to eat in winter
Perchers
Store acorns in the fall to eat during the winter
Vocal birds; often mimic the “kee-yer” calls of hawks
Prefer forests with deciduous nut-bearing oak & beech trees
Blue Jay American Robin Smaller than the jay Only the males sing:
“cheeriup, cheerily, cheeriup”
Insectivores
Perchers
Inhabit coniferous and deciduous woods
Weave an open cup nest that expands with growing young
Many species prefer seeds over insects, if available
Wrens Finches 5 (out of 70) species live in PA Eat mainly insects and spiders;
some species eats berries and seeds
Some species build “dummy” nests to confuse predators
Perchers
Dark-eyed Junco
Only common hummingbird east of the Great Plains
Hover at flowers and feed on nectar; also eat insects
Beats its wings 80 times per second when moving forward
Especially attracted to bright red blossoms
Ground-loving birds Scratch in dead leaves, soil
and snow to uncover food Prefers to roost in conifers
at night
Ruby-Throated Hummingbird
Perchers
PA has 10 species (out of 400) Aggressive birds Catch and eat flies and other
insects, such as bees, flying ants, and wasps
Flycatchers Warblers 27 species breed in PA Small, lively, and colorful
birds Many winter in Mexico and fly
over the Gulf of Mexico to the southern states before migrating into PA
OwlsGreat Horned Long-eared
Known as the “hoot owl” for its deep, booming “hoo-ho-hoo-hoo”
Prominent ear tufts (2 in. long) = “horns”
Earliest nesters of all owls: February they lay eggs
Prey on rabbits, mice, birds, smaller owls, foxes, skunks, muskrats, and weasels
Weigh 3 ½ lbs., ~ 22 in. long, 5 ft wingspan
Most nocturnal owl of PA
Weighs 11 oz.; 16 in. long; 40 in. wingspan
Similar looking to the larger Great Horned owl, but it has a streaked belly, instead of barred, and the ear tufts are closer-set
Dove-like call: “hoo-hoo-hoo” repeated every 3 seconds
OwlsBarred Eastern
Screech Only owl
of the woods that has brown eyes; all others are yellow
Rounded head; no ear tufts
Weighs up to 2 lbs.; ~ 20 in. long; 44 in. wingspan
Most vocal of all owls, with an 8 accented call: “hoohoo-hoohoo… hoo-hoo-hoohooaw”
Weighs 6-7 oz., 10 in. long, 2 ft. wingspan
Two colors: red and gray In PA, the gray is 10 times
more common than the red Prey on large insects
(grasshoppers, moths, beetles), mice, shrews, small birds, & crayfish
RaptorsHawks
Sharp-shinned
Cooper’s Weigh 10-20
oz.;14-20 in. long; 27-36 in. wingspan
Red-eyed, blue-gray back and a rusty-colored breast, and rounded tails
Prey mainly on blue jays and robins
While hunting, they prefer to perch and wait for prey
Weigh 5-9 oz.; 10-14 in. long; 20 - 27 in. wingspan
Closely resemble Cooper’s hawk, but are smaller
Have short rounded wings and a long square-tipped tail
Feed exclusively on small birds (vireos, warblers, sparrows, etc.)
RaptorsRed-Tailed Hawk
Weighs 2 ½ to 3 lbs., 19 to 25 in. in length, 46 to 58 in. wingspan
Light, streaked belly and dark brown back and wings
Upper side of the adult’s tail is a rusty-red color
Rasping “keer-r-r-r” call, slurring downward
Primarily soaring birds that prey on mice, birds, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks
Inhabit deciduous woods, nesting 35 to 90 ft up, they build a stick and twig nest lined with bark or green sprigs
Raptors
Weighs 2 - 3½ lbs., 20 – 26 in. long, wingspan is 40-47 in.
Eyes are bright red, with a white line over each
Nicknamed “blue darters,” they pursue prey (birds and small mammals) through the air or on foot
Voice is a harsh “ca ca ca ca” when defending their nest
Merlin Northern Goshawk
Weighs 6-8 oz. (size of a blue jay); 10-13 in. long; 2 ft. wingspan
Nicknamed “pigeon hawk” due to this falcon’s resemblance to a pigeon’s flight and posture
Voice is a rasping chatter Favor open woods or heavy
timber in wild areas
Resources
Critter Quest PA. Web. Summer 2010. <http://pcee.org/critterquestpa/>. Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Web. Summer 2010. <http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/forestry/>. Pennsylvania Game Commission. Wildlife Notes. PA Game Commission. Print. Pennsylvania Wildlife. Web. Summer 2010. <http://www.pawild.net/home/>.
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