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The Hawks of Nebraska

By Monica Macoubrie, Wildlife Education Specialist Hawks are some of the most commonly seen birds in Nebraska. Often, all you have to do to find one is look up. These raptors, or birds of prey, usually perch on fence posts, overlooking branches and sometimes, at your bird feeder — any elevated spot where they can scan the ground to look for food. While each species of hawk has its own unique characteristics, they all have several features in common, such …

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Adventures of Trout in the Classroom

By Grace Gaard, Aquatic Ecology Education Specialist Adventure: an unusual and exciting, sometimes hazardous experience. While rarely risky, the word “adventure” fairly sums up field-trip season for the Trout in the Classroom program across Nebraska. Although the in-field portion of the program took a hiatus during the coronavirus pandemic, this spring marked the second year since the program’s full reboot. Program offerings hit their stride during the 2022-2023 academic year, and since the pandemic, the number of participating schools have …

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At-Risk Species Spotlight – Buff-Breasted Sandpiper

At-risk Species Spotlight is a monthly blog post that highlights one Nebraska animal that is at-risk of extinction, with the goal of bringing awareness to the incredible diversity of wildlife we have in the state and their conservation needs and efforts as outlined in the Nebraska Natural Legacy Project. By Olivia DaRugna, Watchable Wildlife Biologist The inconspicuous, pale-brown, buff-breasted sandpipers (Calidris subruficollis), or “buffies” as some like to call them, are one of the more than 30 shorebird species that …

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Pillbugs

By Julie Geiser Everyone has seen a roly-poly bug. Their ability to tuck into a little ball, called conglobation, has amazed children and adults alike. But what exactly is a roly-poly bug, and what is its purpose in nature? The roly-poly bug is sometimes called woodlouse or wood shrimp, but its official name is pillbug or Armadillidium vulgare. The pillbug is an isopod; iso- means same or equal and pod means foot. Actually, the pillbug isn’t a bug at all. …

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The Ubiquitous Plover — Killdeer

By Joel Jorgensen, Nongame Bird Program Manager Plovers are generally a group of shorebirds that typically go unseen by the average person. Mountain and piping plovers are both rare and state threatened with specific habitat requirements. Other species like the black-bellied and semipalmated plover occur briefly in our state during spring and fall migration as they travel between breeding and wintering sites. Of Nebraska’s seven species of plovers, the killdeer is the only frequently encountered member of the group and …

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There’s no excuse for not wearing a life jacket on the water!

With the assistance of an adult relative, a youth greatly anticipates catching another bluegill from a boat in a Midwestern lake on a summer day. Photo by Rich Wynne. It bothers me to no end that people have such cavalier excuses regarding why they don’t want to wear life jackets on the water in a boat. In my 44 years at the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, I have seen my share of boating tragedies. I have seen the victims …

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Snappers

By Monica Macoubrie, Outdoor Educator In the United States, biologists recognize three snapping turtle species — the common snapping turtle, native to Nebraska, the alligator snapping turtle and the Suwannee alligator snapping turtle, which is native to the southeastern portion of the United States. Both species of alligator snapping turtle are not found in Nebraska, yet common snapping turtles and the two alligator snapping turtles are distant cousins and look oddly similar to each other. Upon further inspection, however, you’ll …

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May Wildlife Viewing – Birds!

  By Olivia DaRugna, Watchable Wildlife Biologist May in Nebraska is a bird watcher’s paradise. Endless birding opportunities abound, from colorful warblers, to unique shorebirds, to interesting breeding behaviors. It is no wonder May is Nebraska Bird Month. No matter where you are located in the state, you can bet that there will be variety of birds to spot. Shorebirds Late April to mid-May is peak shorebird migration as 30 species and about 300,000 to 500,000 shorebirds stopover in the …

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Compete in the Nebraska Birding Bowl

By Olivia DaRugna, Watchable Wildlife Biologist We are kicking off Nebraska Bird Month (May) with a new event: The Nebraska Birding Bowl! This free event is open to anyone who enjoys observing birds in Nebraska. Whether you just started birding, are an avid backyard birder or a competitive lister, you can participate in the Nebraska Birding Bowl and win prizes. That’s right — win prizes just for observing birds! Enter in one of several categories: Fledgling Flock is for youth …

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City Nature Challenge

Connecting to Urban Wildlife Through the City Nature Challenge By Brianna Nugent, Educator Urban growth, agricultural expansion and other human activities have forced most of Nebraska’s wildlife into small remnants of their once extensive habitats. If that is the case, why are rabbits nibbling on our flower beds, foxes roaming the streets and racoons rummaging through our trash cans? These clever animals have found ways to coexist with us and adapt to life in the big city. For example, animals …

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