Wildlife and Conservation News | October 2019

Happy Owl-oween!

Did you know that there are 10 species of owls that have been documented in Alabama? One of our most common species of owls is the great horned owl, or hoot owl as it is often referred to because of its typical ‘hoo hoo’ call that can be heard at night. While the great horned owl is fairly common across the state, even in urban areas, they are rarely seen because their cryptic coloration allows them to seamlessly blend into their surrounding habitat. Thanks to comb-like adaptations to the leading edge of their feathers, owls are also considered the silent hunters of the night, soundlessly swooping down to capture prey. These adaptations also make detecting owls quite difficult! Many times, the only way to locate an owl is by listening for their calls, much like with any bird species! Listening right at dusk or in the early morning hours is the best time to try and find these iconic birds in Alabama.

Be sure to listen out for our native owls calling while out trick-or-treating this year!
To find out more about the different owls found in Alabama check out our Watchable Wildlife website.

Thermal image taken during a survey of bats emerging from a cave at dusk.

Thank Bats for your Halloween Candy

When you set-forth on your Trick-or-Treat adventure this year, as the light falters and ghouls begin to peek out from behind trees, look to the evening sky for a representative of one of Halloween’s iconic creatures, the bat. All 15 species of Alabama’s bats are insectivores and play a special role in our environment. They eat billions of insects in Alabama every night. A 2011 scientific study concluded that this pest-control service was worth a minimum of $3.7 billion to agriculture each year in the United States. Scientists have calculated bats are worth more than $1 billion to the global corn crop alone. That is a sobering number when you consider that almost all the food we eat contains corn derivatives (check any food label) and we feed all our livestock corn too. So, this Halloween as you enjoy all that corn syrup-based candy, thank the bats for the service they provide!

To learn more about bat species found in Alabama check out our watchable wildlife website.

A “murder” of crows actively depredating upon a recently planted wildlife opening. Photo by Jared Knight

A “Murder” of Crows

Vast congregations of crows begin to form as fall and winter arrive, filling the evening sky with a haunting presence. A flock of crows, also controversially known as a “murder” of crows, may roost in communal sites with several other flocks during the winter, resulting in a unique and potentially problematic situation. Communal roosting sites in towns near people can present a variety of nuisance issues that may need to be addressed. As a protected species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, states are permitted to establish hunting seasons for crows. In Alabama, crows are considered a game bird and hunting is limited to daylight hours only with no bag limit or closed season. While hunting crows can be an enjoyable experience, other more impactful control methods may be needed to mitigate nuisance issues resulting from crows. To learn more about crows visit our website.

*BING *BONG Trick or Tre.... EEEK A RACCOON!!!

October often brings cooler weather and many porch visits mainly from trick or treaters, but one trick or treater can provide more unwanted tricks while treating themselves to your pet’s food. This unwanted visitor is the raccoon. As a homeowner there are several ways to deter raccoons from making your home their favorite trick or treat spot. First, is always feed your household pets indoors. Feeding pets indoors, removes an easy food source and makes wild animals find food sources in their everyday habitat, reducing negative interactions with humans. Second, is fencing. Be sure to block any holes or spaces that lead to dark covered areas that a raccoon would like to den in. Typical spaces raccoons like to den in are crawl spaces under houses, under porches, and even in attics of homes. Third, is trapping or removing the raccoon. Often these animals become too comfortable and need to be removed. This can be done by you the homeowner or by one of the many nuisance animal control businesses throughout Alabama.
If you’re a homeowner dealing with this unwanted trick or treater, visit our website to learn more ways to deter raccoons.

Don’t trash your pumpkins!

Whether you like to carve your pumpkins or leave them whole, when the season ends, many people are left with the question of what to do with them next. This year, instead of tossing your old pumpkins in the trash or letting them rot, consider using them to spruce up your garden or as a seasonal treat for backyard wildlife.

As you clean out your pumpkin and prepare to carve it, if you don’t have time to roast them up for yourself, consider roasting them for wildlife. Numerous wildlife will eat pumpkin seeds too! The seeds should be dried out, either naturally or in the oven, to make it easier for birds to break into them, but do not add any salt or seasoning. 

Carved pumpkins tend to decompose much faster than whole pumpkins, which is great news for macroinvertebrates in your garden! Pumpkins breakdown quickly in the soil since they are 90% water, which makes them a great addition to a compost pile. If you don’t already have a compost pile, you could also chop the pumpkin into small pieces and bury them in the garden. Worms and other macroinvertebrates will love you for it, and the soil will be more fertile for growing native plants next year.

Lastly, for those that don’t have decaying or painted pumpkins, the pumpkin flesh itself can be used as a backyard snack for many wildlife species. You can leave the pumpkin whole, cut it into pieces, or cut out access holes to allow wildlife to reach inside the pumpkin and scoop out the flesh. However you choose to serve your pumpkin snack, place it away from the house, near trees and other cover and enjoy viewing your Alabama wildlife.