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 …]

Did you know that Washington, DC’s Rock Creek Park holds the record for densest population of urban raccoons ever documented? And nearly everyone in the area has seen these evening explorers with their bandit masks and ringed tails. What are they up to? And how do they manage to thrive in our built-up environment? PhD biologist John Hadidian, who   [Read More …]

  Several weeks ago, we received a juvenile Merlin falcon after she collided with a window — we suspect at considerable speed. Small but fierce predators between a robin and a crow in size, Merlins rely on a burst of speed and surprise to catch other birds, and this unfortunate bird’s burst of speed took her right into a window. When   [Read More …]

Throughout history, humans have attempted to secure and stabilize the environment, thwarting nature’s relentless and ever-changing modifications. The seawall, a human-made structure (from rock, concrete or other materials) placed alongside stretches of beach or riverbank, is one measure employed. Unfortunately, while seawalls may solve some   [Read More …]

City Wildlife has recently seen a significant influx of young birds, mostly Common Grackles, European Starlings, and Blue Jays, with eye issues leading to blindness and neurological problems affecting the birds’ balance and coordination. Other regional agencies are reporting the same, as well as many dead fledglings. City Wildlife and other   [Read More …]

It’s a hot day and you’re out and about. Maybe you grab a bottle of water from the nearest convenience store. You take off your facemask to drink, and it falls to the ground accidentally. That’s OK, you have a spare. And after you finish that bottle of water, there’s no garbage can handy, so you just set it down on the sidewalk and figure “the city   [Read More …]

March 17th here in the District of Columbia was a typical cool, spring day: overcast and gray, with rain threatening.  The temperature was a crisp 50 degrees Fahrenheit, where just the week before it had been sunny and in the seventies.  Everyone had emerged from our winter COVID cocoons to get outside and enjoy the unseasonably warm weather while   [Read More …]