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  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (left) and Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (right), take blood samples from a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz. Blood samples are taken of the eagles to study for various things including chemical contaminants such as mercury. Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz (not pictured) is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 24.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (left) and Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (right) take blood samples from a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz. Watching the procedure is Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Blood samples are taken of the eagles to study for various things including chemical contaminants such as mercury. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 25.jpg
  • Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (right), reviews a video he made for his website of Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Information about Wheat’s bald eagle migration study and the latest updates on the locations of the bald eagles she is tracking can be found on the Ecology Alaska website http://www.ecologyalaska.com . Social media and education outreach are an important facet of Wheat’s project. Wheat along with Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz and Dr. Taal Levi, wildlife ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies funded their various Alaska research projects through an innovative Kickstarter fundraising campaign. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 35.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (center), attaches a solar-powered GPS satellite transmitter (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) to the back of a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) using a lightweight harness. Assisting Lewis with the attaching of the GPS satellite transmitter by holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz (right). Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (left), films the procedure using a Go-Pro camera. The eagle, captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve will be tracked by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 20.jpg
  • Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska, checks a blood sample taken from a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Ford was assisting, Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz in the processing of eagles she is studying. Blood samples are taken of the eagles to study for various things including chemical contaminants such as mercury. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 27.jpg
  • Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (left), uses his cell phone to film Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, for a field report of her describing her bald eagle research. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Information about Wheat’s bald eagle migration study and the latest updates on the locations of the bald eagles she is tracking can be found on the Ecology Alaska website http://www.ecologyalaska.com . Social media and education outreach are an important part of of Wheat’s project. Wheat along with Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz and Dr. Taal Levi, wildlife ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies funded their various Alaska research projects through an innovative Kickstarter fundraising campaign. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 34.jpg
  • Once leg snare and net launcher traps to catch bald eagles are set, it is a matter of waiting -- and waiting. On some days no eagles were caught, on others, only one or two were caught. The eagles were being caught as part of a research study being conducted by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is studying the migration of bald eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. Once caught, solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) are attached to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. The eagles are then released back into the wild. Pictured here on the bank of the Chilkat River (left to right) are Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska,  Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz, Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and Wheat. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 42.jpg
  • Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director (center), reviews the previous day’s bald eagle count that her team of students conducted for their citizen science class at the Haines School with a team of researchers studying bald eagle migration. Rachel Wheat (left), a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. Wheat is tracking bald eagles using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal)  that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Assisting Wheat with the capture, tagging and mounting of the transmitters on the birds are (from right to left): Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska; Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Yiwei Wang, graduate student at University of California Santa Cruz; Dr. Taal Levi, wildlife ecologist, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies and Dr. Chris Wilmers, associate professor University of California Santa Cruz (second from left). Also pictured (third person from left) is Liza Gross, freelance journalist. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle count - 40.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, gently resets one of the leg snare traps being used to trap bald eagles on the gravel bar of the Chilkat River. When a bald eagle lands on the hinged perch, a spring is sprung which tightens a looped cord around the eagle’s legs. Lewis, and Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska (left) were assisting in the capture of bald eagles for a research study being conducted by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is studying the migration of bald eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 41.jpg
  • Dr. Scott Ford, avian veterinarian, Avian Speciality Veterinary Services of Alaska, comforts a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Ford was assisting Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (back to camera) and Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz (not pictured), in the processing of eagles Wheat is studying. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz. Helping with the recording of measurements taken of the bald eagle is Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director (left). The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 28.jpg
  • Avian veterinarian Scott Ford places a salmon carcass as bait in front of a net launcher that will be used to trap bald eagles on the banks of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines. Ford was assisting Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. Wheat is tracking bald eagles using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 1.jpg
  • Dr. Chris Wilmers, associate professor, University of California Santa Cruz, holds a blood sample taken from a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Wilmers was assisting, Rachel Wheat, graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz in the processing of eagles she is studying. Blood samples are taken of the eagles to study for various things including chemical contaminants such as mercury. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 26.jpg
  • Three male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse perform a mating dance on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse dancin...jpg
  • A female Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is chased by other males on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse chase ...jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faceoff each other on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faceof...jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faceoff each other on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faceof...jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse is chased by other males on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse chase.jpg
  • A  male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse performs a mating dance on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse dancin...jpg
  • A humpback whale engages in "tail slapping" in the Sitakaday Narrows of the main bay of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in this view seen from Young Island located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska. In the near background is Marble Mountain and in the far background is Mt. Abdallah. It is unknown why whales engage in this behavior but speculation is that it is a way to ward off other whales or the opposite, an invitation to join a group of whales.
    Sitakaday Narrows humback whale tail...jpg
  • A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) flaps its wings to dry after rolling in the waters of Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. Canada geese will roll in water, then flatly bang their wings on the water, then finish by waving the wings back and forth to dry, with a good ruffling of feathers for good measure.<br />
<br />
Canada geese are particularly fastidious about keeping their feathers clean and dry, pulling dirt and water off each feather using the ridges on their mandibles. A good shake and ruffling of their feathers will get them dry. That is followed by oiling their feathers with their bill with oil from the base of their tail. The oil keeps the feathers insulated, dry, and free of parasites.
    Canada goose bathing-5.jpg
  • A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) flaps its wings to dry after rolling in the waters of Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. Canada geese will roll in water, then flatly bang their wings on the water, then finish by waving the wings back and forth to dry, with a good ruffling of feathers for good measure.<br />
<br />
Canada geese are particularly fastidious about keeping their feathers clean and dry, pulling dirt and water off each feather using the ridges on their mandibles. A good shake and ruffling of their feathers will get them dry. That is followed by oiling their feathers with their bill with oil from the base of their tail. The oil keeps the feathers insulated, dry, and free of parasites.
    Canada goose bathing.jpg
  • A juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sits in a tree and calls in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Juvenile bald eagle in tree.jpg
  • A female Columbian sharp-tailed grouse surveys a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse - fema...jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse struts across a lek in southern Wyoming. This photo shows a male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse with its distinctive orange comb and the purple air sacks that they inflate to amplify the courtship call and display their health. Also, note on the down-like feet the fleshy projections on their toes called pectinae. These help distribute the bird’s weight when walking on snow as snowshoes do.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse on lek.jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fight on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fighti...jpg
  • Male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse perform their mating dance on a lek during the pre-dawn in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse dancin...jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse rests on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse restin...jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies with a salmon carcass past ice covered trees sparkling in the golden light of sunrise at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. During November and December several thousand bald eagles come to the alluvial delta area at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers near Haines, Alaska because of the availability of spawned-out salmon and open waters. The open water is due to a deep accumulation of gravel and sand that acts as a large water reservoir whose water temperature remains 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the surrounding water temperature. This warmer water seeps into the Chilkat River, keeping a five mile stretch of the river from freezing as quickly as other rivers in the area. The 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in 1982.
    Bald eagle flying with fish in golde...jpg
  • Bald eagles feed on salmon in the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in late afternoon light. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagles in late afternoon light.jpg
  • A lone bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies above the ice-laden Chilkat River during sunrise in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. Photographers from around the world come to the Chilkat River to photograph bald eagles. During November and December several thousand bald eagles are seen along the river allowing for ample opportunities to photograph the birds along with beautiful scenery that the area offers. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    Chilkat River sunrise with bald eagl...jpg
  • A colony of Black-legged kittiwakes occupy the steep vertical cliffs of South Marble Island in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in southeast Alaska.
    South Marble Island black-legged kit...jpg
  • A black oystercatcher near its nest on Kidney Island in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska.
    Black oystercatcher 2.jpg
  • Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) survey the Chilkat River from a tree as another  bald eagle flies by above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.
    bald eagles in trees.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) surveys the Chilkat River at sunrise from a tree above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve to feed on salmon in what is believed to be the largest gathering of bald eagles in the world.
    Sunrise with bald eagle.jpg
  • A flock of surf scoters in the East Arm of Glacier Bay in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska float on the ocean.<br />
<br />
According to the Cornell Ornithology Lab, “surf scoters are “molt migrants,” meaning that after nesting, adults fly to an area where they can molt their flight feathers. They briefly become flightless before continuing to their wintering range, and molting areas provide some protection from weather and predators." These spots include the sheltered waters of Southeast Alaska.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Surf scoters-2.jpg
  • A flock of surf scoters in the East Arm of Glacier Bay in Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska float on the ocean. In the background are  Point George, Mount Case, and Mount Wright.<br />
<br />
According to the Cornell Ornithology Lab, “surf scoters are “molt migrants,” meaning that after nesting, adults fly to an area where they can molt their flight feathers. They briefly become flightless before continuing to their wintering range, and molting areas provide some protection from weather and predators." These spots include the sheltered waters of Southeast Alaska.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Surf scoters.jpg
  • A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) ruffles its feathers to help dry them after rolling in the waters of Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. Canada geese will roll in water, then flatly bang their wings on the water, then finish by waving the wings back and forth to dry, with a good ruffling of feathers for good measure.<br />
<br />
Canada geese are particularly fastidious about keeping their feathers clean and dry, pulling dirt and water off each feather using the ridges on their mandibles. A good shake and ruffling of their feathers will get them dry. That is followed by oiling their feathers with their bill with oil from the base of their tail. The oil keeps the feathers insulated, dry, and free of parasites.
    Canada goose bathing-7.jpg
  • A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) flaps its wings to dry after rolling in the waters of Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. Canada geese will roll in water, then flatly bang their wings on the water, then finish by waving the wings back and forth to dry, with a good ruffling of feathers for good measure.<br />
<br />
Canada geese are particularly fastidious about keeping their feathers clean and dry, pulling dirt and water off each feather using the ridges on their mandibles. A good shake and ruffling of their feathers will get them dry. That is followed by oiling their feathers with their bill with oil from the base of their tail. The oil keeps the feathers insulated, dry, and free of parasites.
    Canada goose bathing-6.jpg
  • A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) flaps its wings to dry after rolling in the waters of Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. Canada geese will roll in water, then flatly bang their wings on the water, then finish by waving the wings back and forth to dry, with a good ruffling of feathers for good measure.<br />
<br />
Canada geese are particularly fastidious about keeping their feathers clean and dry, pulling dirt and water off each feather using the ridges on their mandibles. A good shake and ruffling of their feathers will get them dry. That is followed by oiling their feathers with their bill with oil from the base of their tail. The oil keeps the feathers insulated, dry, and free of parasites.
    Canada goose bathing-4.jpg
  • A  male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse takes flight from a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse dancin...jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fight on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fighti...jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse surveys a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse restin...jpg
  • A female Columbian sharp-tailed grouse surveys a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse - fema...jpg
  • A  male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse performs a mating dance on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse dancin...jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faces off with another male on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faceof...jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse takes flight from a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse in fli...jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse faceoff each other on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse stando...jpg
  • An unidentified woman photographs a bald eagle during a feeding demonstration at the American Bald Eagle Foundation in Haines, Alaska. <br />
<br />
The American Bald Eagle Foundation, founded in 1982, is a popular tourism attraction. Here tourists can see live raptor demonstrations and interpretive wildlife displays. The foundation also sponsors the Alaska Bald Eagle Festival during the fall for a gathering of bald eagles that is among the largest in the world. The foundation’s website says that it is a non-profit foundation "dedicated to the protection and preservation of bald eagle habitat through sponsoring and facilitating educational and research activities."
    Eagle feeding demonstration.jpg
  • A lone bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies above the ice-laden Chilkat River during sunrise in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. Photographers from around the world come to the Chilkat River to photograph bald eagles. During November and December several thousand bald eagles are seen along the river allowing for ample opportunities to photograph the birds along with beautiful scenery that the area offers. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    Chilkat River sunrise with bald eagl...jpg
  • A lone bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies above the ice-laden Chilkat River during sunrise in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. Photographers from around the world come to the Chilkat River to photograph bald eagles. During November and December several thousand bald eagles are seen along the river allowing for ample opportunities to photograph the birds along with beautiful scenery that the area offers. In 1982, the 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.
    Chilkat River sunrise with bald eagl...jpg
  • Alaskan Dream Cruises "Alaskan Dream" sails past South Marble Island in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in the main bay of the park in southeast Alaska. Alaska Dream Cruises is an Alaska native-owned company.
    Alaskan Dream at South Marble Island.jpg
  • A humpback whale surfaces and dives in the Sitakaday Narrows of the main bay of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in this view at sunset seen from Young Island located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska. In the near background is Marble Mountain and in the far background is Mt. Abdallah.
    Sitakaday Narrows humpback whale sun...jpg
  • A tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) flies towards South Marble Island in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. For most of their lives, tufted puffins live on the open ocean, far from shore, only to return to the nesting cliff where they hatched. Underwater, they open their wings and “fly,” diving as much as 360 feet deep. Tufted puffins will also consume their prey underwater unless they bring food back to the nest's chicks. When returning food to the nest, they can hold as many as  20 fish in their bill crosswise. Tufted puffins are heavy for their wing size. To fly, they beat their winds upwards of 400 times a minute to stay in the air.<br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is located in southeast Alaska. The park is also an important marine wilderness area known for its spectacular tidewater glaciers, icefields, and tall coastal mountains. The park, a popular destination for cruise ships, is also known for its sea kayaking and wildlife viewing opportunities. <br />
<br />
Glacier Bay National Park is home to humpback whales which feed in the park's protected waters during the summer, both black and grizzly bears, moose, wolves, sea otters, harbor seals, steller's sea lions, and numerous species of sea birds. <br />
<br />
The dynamically changing park, known for its large, contiguous, intact ecosystems, is a United Nations biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
    Tufted puffin.jpg
  • A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) shakes its head after rolling in the waters of Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. Canada geese will roll in water, then flatly bang their wings on the water, then finish by waving the wings back and forth to dry, with a good ruffling of feathers for good measure.<br />
<br />
Canada geese are particularly fastidious about keeping their feathers clean and dry, pulling dirt and water off each feather using the ridges on their mandibles. A good shake and ruffling of their feathers will get them dry. That is followed by oiling their feathers with their bill with oil from the base of their tail. The oil keeps the feathers insulated, dry, and free of parasites.
    Canada goose bathing-3.jpg
  • A Canada goose (Branta canadensis) rolls in the waters of Lake Springfield in Springfield, Missouri. Canada geese will roll in water, then flatly bang their wings on the water, then finish by waving the wings back and forth to dry, with a good ruffling of feathers for good measure.<br />
<br />
Canada geese are particularly fastidious about keeping their feathers clean and dry, pulling dirt and water off each feather using the ridges on their mandibles. A good shake and ruffling of their feathers will get them dry. That is followed by oiling their feathers with their bill with oil from the base of their tail. The oil keeps the feathers insulated, dry, and free of parasites.
    Canada goose bathing-2.jpg
  • A  male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse struts across a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse struts.jpg
  • A male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse surveys a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse survey...jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fight on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fighti...jpg
  • Two male Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fight on a lek in southern Wyoming.<br />
<br />
The Columbian sharp-tailed grouse (Tympanuchus phasianellus columbianus) is one of the seven recognized subspecies of North American sharp-tailed grouse. It is also the rarest and smallest of the subspecies of sharp-tailed grouse. Columbian sharp-tailed grouse have experienced declines in distribution and population due to overuse and development of the mountain shrub and grasslands that it favors. It is native to the sagebrush steppe of the western United States and British Columbia. First described by the Lewis & Clark expedition, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse were once the most abundant grouse in the West. Today, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse no occupy less than 10 percent of its historic range. It is currently considered a Species of Concern in several U.S. states.<br />
<br />
Like other grouse, Columbian sharp-tailed grouse congregate year after year in the spring on a small area known as a lek. Males perform highly animated dancing courtship displays to impress females to mate. These displays consist of rapidly stamping their feet at blur-like speed while keeping with their wings extended, often rotating in a circle.
    Columbian sharp-tailed grouse fighti...jpg
  • The golden light of sunrise causes ice covered trees to sparkle at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. During November and December several thousand bald eagles come to the alluvial delta area at the confluence of the Tsirku and Chilkat Rivers near Haines, Alaska because of the availability of spawned-out salmon and open waters. The open water is due to a deep accumulation of gravel and sand that acts as a large water reservoir whose water temperature remains 10 to 20 degrees warmer than the surrounding water temperature. This warmer water seeps into the Chilkat River, keeping a five mile stretch of the river from freezing as quickly as other rivers in the area. The 48,000 acre area was designated as the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in 1982.
    Golden light on ice covered trees.jpg
  • A black oystercatcher near its nest on Kidney Island in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve located in the Beardslee Islands of the park in southeast Alaska.
    Black oystercatcher.jpg
  • “Hugging the World”, a red cedar carving done in Northwest Coast style hangs in the domestic terminal at Vancouver International Airport, in Vancouver, British Columbia. The artwork, by Robert Davidson, has two large dance masks of an Eagle and Raven that are mounted back to back. Eagles and Ravens are important in Haida spiritual beliefs and social structure.
    Vancouver 2017.jpg
  • Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz uses calipers to take anatomy measurements of a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) captured in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. In this photo she is measuring the toe (hallux) claw. Beak measurements and toe claw length are two measurements that help determine the gender of a bald eagle. Female bald eagles typically have larger beaks, feet and talons. This reversal of gender size is called reverse sexual size dimorphism. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Assisting Wheat with the measurements by holding the eagle is Yiwei Wang, graduate student, University of California Santa Cruz. The latest tracking location data of this bald eagle known as "2Z" can be found here: http://www.ecologyalaska.com/eagle-tracker/2z/ . During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 14.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, records information about a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that was captured for a study being conducted by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 33.jpg
  • A male lesser prairie-chicken performs his mating display on a lek located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chicken booming-2.jpg
  • A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) surveys his spot on a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chicken-2.jpg
  • A burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), stand snext to the opening to an underground borrow located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas.<br />
<br />
Burrowing owls live in underground burrows, often that they have taken over from prairie dogs, tortoises, and ground squirrels. While most owls are active at night, borrowing owls are active during the day doing most of their hunting in the early morning or early evening. When threatened by a predator burrowing owl will retreat to the borrow and produce hissing and rattling sounds similar to that of a rattlesnake. Burrowing owls are often seen with just their eyes poking above the burrow hole.<br />
<br />
Control programs to limit or eradicate prairie dogs and ground squirrels have led to a sharp decline of burrowing owls who depend on the burrows dug by prairie doge and ground squirrels.
    Burrowing owls.jpg
  • Two male greater prairie-chickens fight on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas.<br />
<br />
The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. <br />
<br />
Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.
    Male greater prairie-chickens fighti...jpg
  • A juvenile bald eagle swoops down on trumpeter swans and other waterfowl in the Snow Goose Pond Complex at Loess Bluffs NWR (formerly known as Squaw Creek). Loess Bluffs  is a wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The 7,440-acre refuge, located in northwest Missouri is known for the migrating waterfowl, particularly Snow Geese. Fall and Spring migration can bring millions of Snow Geese to the refuge. Also, bald eagles and an occasional golden eagle pass through the area during the fall and winter months. <br />
<br />
The 10-mile auto tour around the waterways and marshes of the refuge is an excellent way to spot birds of prey, waterfowl, beavers, otters, and muskrats.
    Bald eagle attacking swans.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies above the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle in flight.jpg
  • An adult bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) attacks an immature (juvenile) bald eagle feeding on a salmon carcass on the banks of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. It takes four to five years for a bald eagle to develop the distinctive white head, tail and yellow beak. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Adult bald eagle attacks immature ea...jpg
  • Ella Bredthauer, a middle school science teacher at the Haines School in Haines, Alaska, points out the location of a bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to students during a weekly count of bald eagles along the Chilkoot River. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle count - 3.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is seen flying over Allison Stuart as she photographs other bald eagles along the Chilkoot River near Haines, Alaska. Looking on is fellow student Maggie Martin (left). Stuart and Martin were part of a class team conducting a count of bald eagles as part of  their citizen science class project at the Haines School. Behind the car are Ella Bredthauer, Haines middle school science teacher and Meredith Pochardt, Takshanuk Watershed Council project manager. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle count - 4.jpg
  • Student Allison Stuart uses a spotting scope to count bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) along the Chilkat River, near Haines, Alaska. Looking on are fellow students Maggie Martin and Heidi Kattenhorn (right). Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle count - 6.jpg
  • Student Heidi Kattenhorn (left) and Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director count bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve, near Haines, Alaska. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle count - 17.jpg
  • Student Heidi Kattenhorn (left), and Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, hike to their bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) spotting location on the Klehini River Bridge, near the Porcupine Crossing turnoff to count bald eagles. Since 2009, students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School. The project is part of a field-based for-credit class, sponsored by the Takshanuk Watershed Council, in which students participate in research studies and learn about field data collection. Under the guidance of Pam Randles, Takshanuk Watershed Council Education Director, students count bald eagles in the Chilkat River Valley using spotting scopes at 10 locations and present their data at the Bald Eagle Festival held in November in Haines. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle count - 24.jpg
  • Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, resets one of the leg snare traps she is using to trap bald eagles on the gravel bar of the Chilkat River. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 59.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (left), and Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, cross the snow-covered gravel bar of the Chilkat River to remove the traps they had set to catch bald eagles. Each morning under darkness they would set their traps. Then in the late afternoon they would remove them. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 74.jpg
  • Steve Lewis, Raptor Management Coordinator, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service used leg snare traps and also a net launcher to capture bald eagles on the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve. Pictured here is a leg snare trap attached to a driftwood log. Leg snare traps employ a lopped cord draped over a hinged perch. When a bald eagle lands on the perch a spring is sprung which tightens a looped cord around the bald eagle’s legs. The trap was used to capture bald eagles for a study being conducted by Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 75.jpg
  • IMAGE 4 OF 5 IMAGE SEQUENCE -- Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, demonstrates how the hinged perch of a leg snare trap works. When a bald eagle lands on the hinged perch, a spring is sprung which tightens a looped cord around the eagle’s legs. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 80.jpg
  • Rachel Wheat, a graduate student at the University of California Santa Cruz, talks to Haines School students about the bird bands she is attaching to the bald eagles in her research study. Since 2009, Haines School students have been conducting a weekly count of bald eagles during the fall semester for the citizen science class at the Haines School in Haines, Alaska. Wheat is conducting a bald eagle migration study of eagles that visit the Chilkat River for her doctoral dissertation. She hopes to learn how closely eagles track salmon availability across time and space. The bald eagles are being tracked using solar-powered GPS satellite transmitters (also known as a PTT - platform transmitter terminal) that attach to the backs of the eagles using a lightweight harness. Along with the bright green leg bands, each of the research bald eagles will receive a silver aluminum U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS) leg band. The bright green leg bands have larger identification information than the USGS bands making it easier to read using binoculars or a spotting scope. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle migration research - 57.jpg
  • Bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sit on the gravel bar of the Chilkat River during a snowstorm in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagles in snow 2.jpg
  • An immature bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) watches a mature bald eagle fly by along the bank of the Chilkat River as it snows in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. The red material on the beak of the mature eagle is from salmon that the eagle had been eating. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Mature bald eagle and juvenile bald ...jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies away with the head of a salmon carcass over the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Eagle flying with fish head.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) chases off a bald eagle from the salmon it was eating on the banks of the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle confrontation sequence.jpg
  • A mature bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) defends the salmon carcass that it is feeding on from an attacking juvenile bald eagle along the Chilkat River in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle confrontation-3.jpg
  • Mew gull chicks await feeding from an adult mew gull on river bar of the Savage River in Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The gulls were seen from the Savage Canyon Trail. Mew gulls spend their summer breeding in Alaska, often nesting on the gravel bar of the Savage River. They then winter on the Pacific coasts of Washington, Oregon and California.
    Mew gulls.jpg
  • A little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) flys over the Gatorland alligator breeding marsh and bird sanctuary near Orlando, Florida. The bird sanctuary is the largest and most easily accessible wild wading bird rookery in east central Florida.
    Little blue heron fishing.jpg
  • A juvenile bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) flies in the Chilkat River Bald Eagle Preserve along the Chilkat River near the village of Klukwan in Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Juvenile bald eagle in flight-2.jpg
  • A bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sits in a tree in the morning sun in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the Chilkat River near Haines, Alaska. During late fall, bald eagles congregate along the Chilkat River to feed on salmon. This gathering of bald eagles in the Alaska Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve is believed to be one of the largest gatherings of bald eagles in the world.
    Bald eagle in tree-3.jpg
  • A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) takes flight from a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chicken flying.jpg
  • Male lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) engage in a standoff with each other for the prime spot on a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chicken standoff.jpg
  • A male lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) races across a lek to protect his spot from other males on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chicken runnning.jpg
  • Male lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) battle each other for the prime spot on a lek on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch in Gove County, Kansas. Prairie chickens return to the same lek year after year to mate. Males attempt to entice female lesser prairie-chickens with a showy mating display on a lek <br />
<br />
During courtship on a lek, males inflate their red esophageal air sacs and hold erect pinnae on each side of the neck. They rapidly stomp their feet making a drumming-like sound. The booming call of lesser-prairie chickens, amplified by the air sacs, can be heard as far as a mile away.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on. As of early 2022, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has placed a status of proposed threatened or proposed endangered species. A ruling is expected in the summer of 2022.<br />
<br />
Lesser prairie-chickens are found in Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas with about half of the current population living in western Kansas.
    Lesser prairie-chickens fighting.jpg
  • A burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), stands in the opening to an underground borrow located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas.<br />
<br />
Burrowing owls live in underground burrows, often that they have taken over from prairie dogs, tortoises, and ground squirrels. While most owls are active at night, borrowing owls are active during the day doing most of their hunting in the early morning or early evening. When threatened by a predator burrowing owl will retreat to the borrow and produce hissing and rattling sounds similar to that of a rattlesnake. Burrowing owls are often seen with just their eyes poking above the burrow hole.<br />
<br />
Control programs to limit or eradicate prairie dogs and ground squirrels have led to a sharp decline of burrowing owls who depend on the burrows dug by prairie doge and ground squirrels.
    Burrowing owl-2.jpg
  • A burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), stand snext to the opening to an underground borrow located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas.<br />
<br />
Burrowing owls live in underground burrows, often that they have taken over from prairie dogs, tortoises, and ground squirrels. While most owls are active at night, borrowing owls are active during the day doing most of their hunting in the early morning or early evening. When threatened by a predator burrowing owl will retreat to the borrow and produce hissing and rattling sounds similar to that of a rattlesnake. Burrowing owls are often seen with just their eyes poking above the burrow hole.<br />
<br />
Control programs to limit or eradicate prairie dogs and ground squirrels have led to a sharp decline of burrowing owls who depend on the burrows dug by prairie doge and ground squirrels.
    Burrowing owl.jpg
  • A burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia), lands next to another burrowing owl at the opening to an underground borrow located on the Hoeme Family Farm and Ranch near Healy, Kansas.<br />
<br />
Burrowing owls live in underground burrows, often that they have taken over from prairie dogs, tortoises, and ground squirrels. While most owls are active at night, borrowing owls are active during the day doing most of their hunting in the early morning or early evening. When threatened by a predator burrowing owl will retreat to the borrow and produce hissing and rattling sounds similar to that of a rattlesnake. Burrowing owls are often seen with just their eyes poking above the burrow hole.<br />
<br />
Control programs to limit or eradicate prairie dogs and ground squirrels have led to a sharp decline of burrowing owls who depend on the burrows dug by prairie doge and ground squirrels.
    Burrowing owls.jpg
  • Two male greater prairie-chickens fight on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas.<br />
<br />
The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. <br />
<br />
Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.
    Male greater prairie-chickens fighti...jpg
  • Two male greater prairie-chickens fight on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas.<br />
<br />
The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. <br />
<br />
Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.
    Male greater prairie-chickens fighti...jpg
  • Two male greater prairie-chickens faceoff on a lek in Mitchell County, Kansas.<br />
<br />
The greater prairie-chicken or pinnated grouse (Tympanuchus cupido) is known for its mating ritual by males called booming. In the spring, males gather on leks, also known as booming grounds, in which they defend small areas on the lek to perform their mating displays for visiting females. This display includes extending their orange eye combs, lowering the head, raising two tufts of feathers on the neck, and pointing the tail slightly forward while stamping their feet rapidly. They also expand their bright orange air sac to produce a booming-like sound that can be heard up to a mile away. In addition, males will vigorously defend their territory on the lek by chasing, leaping in the air, and dramatic fighting. <br />
<br />
Greater prairie-chickens are threatened by climate changes (drought or too much rain) and habitat loss. In particular, habitat loss caused by wind energy development. Prairie-chickens need large expanses of open grassland without tall objects (like wind turbines or power lines and power poles) that provide a raptor to perch on.
    Greater prairie-chicken faceoff-4.jpg
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