Vertebrates Archives - Page 88 of 125

June 5, 2014March 4, 2026

Gardening for Hummingbirds

At long last, summer has returned as have the hummingbirds who zip around my garden, visiting flowers and chasing off intruders. (Kevin Colver: Songbirds of Rocky Mountain Foothills. Broad-tailed Hummingbird) Hummingbirds are a delight in the yard and so we plant flowers specifically to attract and feed them. In general, hummingbirds prefer long tubular flowers especially those that are red, orange or violet. But not all these flowers are created equally.Gardening for Hummingbirds

Hummingbirds visit flowers for their nectar which fuels their flight. Their long tongue reaches well beyond the tip of their needle like bill when they lap up nectar; capillary action then draws the sweet liquid up tiny grooves along the length of the tongue.

Floral nectar evolved to attract potential pollinators. The floral nectary is generally found inside the flower, at the base. When probing for nectar, floral visitors brush by the reproductive structures. Pollen adheres to parts of their body and then at the next flower of the same species, some pollen sticks to the female stigma. This transfer is pollination.

Many nectar-rich flowers grow well in Utah gardens. In the xeric garden, Penstemons are a good choice, as are Red Hot Pokers and Zauschneria, sometimes called Hummingbird Trumpet. In more moist sites, red flowered Heuchera is popular. Some red flowered cacti and Trumpet Creeper are good choices, as are Agastache and many Salvias.

Watch which flowers hummers visit. They will check out many blooms, but the ones they routinely return to are the ones yielding generous nectar. Many flowers produce little or no nectar, including some that look to us like good hummingbird flowers. Also, many horticultural hybrids and doubled flowers produce paltry amounts of nectar.

To encourage hummingbirds to remain in your garden, you can grow trees and shrubs for cover. Nectar is only part of their diet. For protein, they regularly eat insects and spiders small enough for their tiny bill so a garden free of insects is not desirable. They also appreciate a place to perch where they can digest, wait for a tasty insect to fly by and keep an eye out for potential rivals. So grab your trowel and lets feed those hummers.(Kevin Cover: Songbirds of Rocky Mountain Foothills. Broad-tailed Hummingbird)

This is Linda Kervin for Bridgerland Audubon Society.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy and Copyright Jim Cane, Photographer
Theme: Courtesy & Copyright Don Anderson as performed by Leaping Lulu
Text & Voice: Linda Kervin, Bridgerland Audubon Society

Additional Reading:

Linda Kervin’s pieces on Wild About Utah

Hummingbirds and How to Attract Them, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, https://wdfw.wa.gov/living/hummingbirds/

Hummingbirds 101, The Hummingbird Society, https://www.hummingbirdsociety.org/hummingbirds-101/

Coro Arizmendi Arriaga, Maria del, Hummingbirds of
Mexico and North America, In Spanish and English, CONABIO, 2014, https://www.biodiversidad.gob.mx/Difusion/pdf/colibries_mexico_y_norteamerica.pdf

Gardening for Hummingbirds
Gardening for Hummingbirds
Gardening for Hummingbirds

May 17, 2014March 4, 2026

The Raft River Mountains

Hi, I’m Holly Strand of the Quinney College of Natural Resources at Utah State University.

In each of Utah’s six corners you’ll find one or more remarkable natural features. Moreover, each corner represents a totally different geographic environment. No doubt you are familiar with turquoise blue Bear Lake in the upper northeast and the magnificent High Uintas near the angle formed by Wyoming. Flaming Gorge and Dinosaur National Monument flank the lower northeast corner. The ancient ruins and Monument Valley draw international visitors to the southeast corner. The numerous canyon parks in Utah’s southwest corner offer endless opportunities for exploration.

That’s five corners. But what do you know about the northwest corner of our state? I live in Northern Utah and I had never been there. Resolved to correct this omission I consulted a map as well as Joan Hammer of Box Elder County’s Office of Tourism. I concluded that the Raft River Mountains were worth checking out. The highest point in the County, Bull Mountain is here. And the 40 mile long range defines the southernmost section of Sawtooth National Forest.

The Raft River Mountains are unusual in that they run east-west. The normal pattern for Basin and Range country is north-south. The east-west orientation creates an important geographic dividing line. For Clear Creek drains the northern slopes of the Raft River Mountains. Then Clear Creek joins the Raft River which flows north to the Snake River. Thus the mountains form the sole—and very small—piece of Utah real estate that belongs to the great Colombia River Basin. The southern slopes are part of Great Basin. Rain or snow falling on this side is absorbed into the ground or evaporates.

Another interesting fact: The Raft River Mountains is where you can view some of the oldest rock in Utah. In this region, outcrops of Precambrian material are 2.5 billion years old. The largest and thickest exposures are in the eastern half of the range.

The Raft River Mountain peaks may not make it onto post cards. But when I saw them they were nothing less than beautiful. The lower slopes of sagebrush had the grayish-green tint that emerges all too briefly in the spring. Snow still gleamed on the 8-9000 foot summits. Clear Creek was running full through riparian forest that was just starting to leaf out. There were no people at the campground but wildlife was plentiful. I saw wild turkey, deer, jackrabbits and squirrels. A few pronghorn looked up as I drove out through the sagebrush. All in all, I found Utah’s sixth corner to be well worth a visit.

For pictures and more information about the Raft River Mountains, go to www.wildaboututah.org

For Wild About Utah, and the Quinney College of Natural Resources, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Images: Courtesy and Copyright Holly Strand
Text: Holly Strand

Additional Reading

Doelling, Hellmut H. Geology and Mineral Resources of Box Elder County. Utah Geological and Mineral Survey. 1980. Bulletin 115.,

Stokes, William Lee. 1988. Geology of Utah. Salt Lake City: Utah Museum of Natural History. SummitPost.org Bull Mountain. https://www.summitpost.org/bull-mtn-ut/183282https://www.summitpost.org/bull-mtn-ut/183282 [Accessed May 13, 2014 and July 10, 2020]

USDA Forest Service. Sawtooth National Forest, Raft River Division. https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/sawtooth/recarea/?recid=5806 [Accessed May 13, 2014 and July 10, 2020]

Hylland, Rebecca, What are Igneous, Sedimentary & Metamorphic Rocks?, Glad You Asked, Utah Geological Survey, https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/glad-you-asked/igneous-sedimentary-metamorphic-rocks/

April 25, 2014July 13, 2026

Killdeer, the bird that lives dangerously

Hi, this is Mark Larese-Casanova from the Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.

The onset of springtime brings nesting birds in abundance. In the past week alone, blackbirds have been defending their territories in the marshes, goslings can be seen trailing behind their parents, and swallows are swooping and perching near their nests.
One bird that is impossible to ignore is the killdeer. Its call is loud, and easily recognizable.
[Audio Recording: Killdeer call, Audio file copyright 2006, Kevin Colver. All rights reserved, https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=1117069&q=killdeer WesternSoundscape.org:
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License] It’s no coincidence that its scientific name is Charadrius vociferous.

Killdeer are a type of plover, similar to the snowy plovers that nest along the shores of Great Salt Lake. The killdeer, however, is well at home in dry upland habitats. The most peculiar characteristic of killdeer is that they are often seen and heard in the most unlikely of places- dirt roads, parking lots, or even construction sites.

Killdeer nest on open ground, digging just a shallow scrape in the soil. Gravel roads are often ideal nesting habitat because killdeer eggs blend in well with nearby pebbles. The spotted eggs and young hatchlings are very cryptic, invisible to the eye even when they are underfoot. This dangerous breeding strategy can often lead to trampled nests. Or, if a predator has a good sense of smell, the eggs and young are easily eaten.

Although, the killdeer has a trick up its sleeve (well… its wing)! When a predator, such as a fox, approaches the nest, the adult killdeer feigns a broken wing while walking away from its nest. This draws the attention of the predator, which thinks it’s found an easy meal, away toward the adult. Once it’s led the threat far enough from the nest, the adult killdeer takes off in flight, taunting the predator with its call.

It’s very hard to see a killdeer nest even when it’s obvious the adults are near it. Keep in mind, though, that time spent looking for a killdeer nest is time that the adults are not tending to the eggs or hatchlings, which puts their survival at risk. A bird that lives so dangerously can use all the help it can get.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Mark Larese-Casanova.

Credits:

Theme: Courtesy & Copyright Don Anderson Leaping Lulu
Images: Courtesy Wikimedia, Curt Hart as well as Clinton & Charles Robertson, Photographers
Audio: Courtesy Marriott Library, University of Utah & US National Park Service
Text & Voice: Mark Larese-Casanova, Utah Master Naturalist Program at Utah State University Extension.

Additional Reading:

Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Killdeer. All About Birds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/killdeer/id

Tekiela, S. 2003. Birds of Utah. Adventure Publications, Inc. Cambridge, Minnesota.
https://www.amazon.com/Birds-Utah-Field-Guide-Tekiela/dp/1591930197

Killeer, Species, Utah Division of Wildlife Services, Utah Department of Natural Resources. Killdeer. https://fieldguide.wildlife.utah.gov/?species=charadrius%20vociferus

April 17, 2014March 4, 2018

Ring-Necked Pheasant

Native distribution the Common Pheasant in Eurasia, Courtesy Wikimedia, licensed under GNU Free Documentation LIcense v1.2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/en:GNU_Free_Documentation_License — Native distribution of the
Common Pheasant in Eurasia
Courtesy Wikimedia
Licensed Under CCL Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Ported

Male Ring-Necked Pheasant
Courtesy Wikimedia
Gary Noon, Photographer
Licensed Under CCL Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 Ported

Male Ring-Necked Pheasant in flight
Courtesy US FWS & Wikimedia
Magnus Manske, Photographer

Male(R) and Female(F)
Ring Necked Pheasant
Courtesy Wikimedia, Chris O, Photographer
Licensed Under CCL Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Ported

wikipedia.noon.Pheasant.250x164.jpg — Native distribution of the
Common Pheasant in Eurasia
Courtesy Wikimedia
Licensed Under CCL Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Ported

Male Ring-Necked Pheasant
Courtesy Wikimedia
Gary Noon, Photographer
Licensed Under CCL Attribution Share-Alike 2.0 Ported

Male Ring-Necked Pheasant in flight
Courtesy US FWS & Wikimedia
Magnus Manske, Photographer

Male(R) and Female(F)
Ring Necked Pheasant
Courtesy Wikimedia, Chris O, Photographer
Licensed Under CCL Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Ported

Hi I’m Holly Strand from the Quinney College of Natural Resources at Utah State University.

It’s spring, and the birds are starting to make quite a racket outside. Here’s a bird we hear every day now, in the morning or at dusk: [https://www.xeno-canto.org/explore?query=common+pheasant]
That’s the sound of a male ring-necked pheasant crowing and then beating his wings against his body. The male is announcing his territory which may be 7 acres or more. Under the right conditions his announcement can carry up to a mile. Looking out the window, I often see our resident pheasant marching around the yard, sometimes herding a female or two, or three. For the dominant males keep female harems during the mating season.

Last year another male wandered up our driveway. This led to a skirmish. The two males held their heads low, rumps raised and tails straight out behind. They pecked and said some choice words to each other in pheasant language. Periodically they burst into a fluttering fight that involved some vicious biting, and kicking. Eventually the intruder left leaving the other to resume his post as head pheasant of our yard.

If you haven’t ever seen a ring-necked pheasant you are in for a treat when you do. The males have a green iridescent head, a bright red face, and a distinctive white ring collar. Their spectacular multicolored plumage ends in a long coppery tail cropped with thin black bars. The females are much smaller; their feathers a mottled mixture of brown and buff with dark markings. While not so beautiful, they are much harder to see and therefore are safer from predators.

All pheasants are natives of the Old World–more specifically of southern Asia. The ring-necked pheasant is not a distinct species there. It’s an informal name that refers to certain subspecies of the Common Pheasant, which occupies a huge territory stretching from the Black Sea and Caucasus region through Central and Middle Asia all the way through China Korea and the Russian Far East. Throughout this enormous territory, over 34 different subspecies of common pheasant have evolved– some with a ringed marking around their necks and some without. What we have here in America is a hybrid mix of a few of these ring-necked subspecies—mostly from China.

Because of their huge popularity as a game bird, ring-necked pheasants have been transplanted all over the world. In the U.S. the pheasant was introduced on the west coast in the 1860’s , but now you can find them in all but the most southern states. They are especially concentrated in our central Corn Belt region.

The ring-necked pheasant was first introduced to Utah around 1890. Their numbers are maintained through transplanting, natural dispersion and further releases of game-farmed birds. Some of those birds end up on the dinner table and some of them find refuge on private lands and in Utah neighborhoods like ours.

Thanks to Paul Marvin for his Xeno-Canto recording.

For sources, pictures and more information, go to www.wildaboututah.org.

For Wild About Utah, I’m Holly Strand.

Credits:

Images:

Native distribution the Common Pheasant in Eurasia
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Phasianus_colchicus_distribution.png
Male Ring-Necked Pheasant https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pheasant.jpg
Male Ring-Necked Pheasant in flight https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ringnecked_pheasant_flying_USFWS.jpg
Male and female Ring-Necked Pheasant https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Male_and_female_pheasant.jpg licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Text: Holly Strand

Sources & Additional Reading

Giudice, John H. and John T. Ratti. 2001. Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus), The Birds of North America Online (A. Poole, Ed.). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; Retrieved from the Birds of North America Online: https://bna.birds.cornell.edu/bna/species/572

Heinz, Gary H. and Leslie W. Gysel. 1970. Vocalization Behavior Of The Ring-Necked Pheasant. The Auk, 87: 279-295. https://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v087n02/p0279-p0295.pdf

Johnsgard, P. A. 1999. The pheasants of the world. 2nd ed. Smithson. Inst. Press, Washington, D.C.
All About Birds: Ring-Necked Pheasant https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/ring-necked_pheasant/id

Audio:

Paul Marvin, XC163168. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/163168. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
Date 2011-06-04
Location National Bison Range, Dixon, Montana