On March 23, 2023, Dr. Peter Paul van Dijk of the Turtle Conservancy, the Turtle Survival Alliance, and other turtle conservation groups presented a webinar on the status and conservation of Eastern Box Turtles. Here is a recording of his talk: [Read More …]
City Wildlife Trivia Night is back!
What names were given to the Bald Eagles who nest at the arboretum? Why are Eastern Box Turtles called “box” turtles? Sunday, October 2, 6 – 8 p.m. Kingfisher, 1414 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005 Join us for our second-ever Trivia Night! This fundraiser will be an entertaining evening of nature-themed trivia to challenge your [Read More …]
Who is really visiting your bird feeder?
The cardinals, the finches, the doves… the many, many sparrows… What a treat it is to watch the bustling activity at a bird feeder! Of course, only about 20 percent of a bird’s overall diet comes from bird feeders; the majority of their daylight hours are spent foraging for bugs or seeds, mainly from native plants, weeds, and the like. But aside [Read More …]
I’ll take two sugars, a side of good karma, and a chance to see an oriole
Where does your coffee come from? Columbia? Honduras? The Starbuck’s on the corner? Fair enough. But where does it REALLY come from? Increasingly, land in Central and South American is being clear-cut for coffee plantations that feed our love of the morning brew. That clearing removes all the trees and foliage that many of our migratory [Read More …]
Trapping and Re-Locating: Ineffective and Inhumane
It should come as no surprise that ongoing urban development in the District of Columbia has increasingly reduced local wildlife habitat. Wild animals are being pushed into yards and other spaces, which we humans think of as being reserved solely for our usage. Conflicts are bound to occur. The animals are simply trying to survive. Most people [Read More …]
Baby Shower!
City Wildlife is expecting hundreds of orphaned babies! Each spring City Wildlife receives a flood of orphaned wild babies of all varieties: rabbits, squirrels, songbirds, and many more. In fact, fully half of all the animals that City Wildlife admits each year come in between May 1 and July 31. On a busy day we take in a new patient [Read More …]
Wild Tales from 2021
See amazing stories of wildlife rescue and release: a goose family separated and reunited, a duck endangered by a fishing hook and bobber, a toad accidentally dug up by a gardener, and more! Thank you for your support! [Read More …]
Avian Disease Threatens Birds in Washington, DC, Area
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) 2022 Confirmed in Waterfowl in Maryland, Virginia Background: Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) has been found in both wild and domestic birds in the eastern and central United States, including near Washington, DC. This type of HPAI is considered a low risk to people, but it can be dangerous to [Read More …]
“Hey, Who Took My Tree?” Living with the Busy Beaver
As City Wildlife frequently tells people, the District of Columbia is home to a surprising number of wild animals. But only a select few of these animals are ecosystem engineers; among animals, beaver have an essential monopoly on that activity. We humans engineer our environment, of course, although it often seems as much to our detriment as [Read More …]
What to do when your wild neighbors move in!
Wild animals live and thrive in our communities, and conflicts with humans occur. Outdated approaches to resolving these conflicts are still widely in use but generally do not work and are often not humane. In this recorded webinar from January 20, 2022, Senior Director of Urban Wildlife Programs for the HSUS, John Griffin shares anecdotes and [Read More …]
