February 2025 – Discover-Nature

As spring approaches, many bird species will be migrating across the country from warm winter sites back to summer nesting areas to mate and raise young. For many bird watchers, a favorite activity is to identify birds by their songs. Songbirds have an organ called the syrinx that produces the lyrical notes we can listen to. Birds may produce one or more notes at a time creating complex calls and melodies. Some of these songs are used to attract a mate, or to identify itself to another family member, or as calls of warning about any approaching danger. Night traveling species may use calls to keep the flock together while flying, but most calls are heard throughout daylight hours.

In the upper Midwest, in prairie and wetland areas, the first migrators in early March will include ruby-crowned kinglets, blue-winged teals, loggerhead shrikes, upland sandpipers, and eastern bluebirds. As night time temperatures become warmer and stable, summer tanagers, Baltimore orioles, and up to 35 warbler species will begin moving through this area. Some species to watch for in northern Illinois are American white pelicans, common loons, Northern pintail ducks, and yellow-bellied sapsuckers.

You can find many excellent observation spots in your area by searching online for “spring birding hotspots in your area”. Another favorite forecasting site to follow migrating bird groups is the University of Cornell’s BirdCast Project website.

American white pelican, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, by Manjith Kainickara, Nov 2010

Call from a young chick by Andrew Spencer, XC36292

Baltimore oriole, Icterus galbula, by Tony Castro, May 2013

Alarm call by Joost van Bruggen, XC864040

Call by Gus Mueller, May 2007

Blue-winged teal, Spatula discors , by Alan D. Wilson

Call by Jonathon Jongsma

Common loon, Gavia immer, by John Picken, Jul 2011

Tremolo call by Darwin Long, Apr 2006

Eastern bluebird, Sialia sialis, by Sandysphotos2009, Apr 2010

Call by Jonathon Jongsma, Jun 2011

Loggerhead shrike, Lanius ludovicianus, by Jeffrey Gammon, Dec 2020

Alarm call by Bobby Wilcox, XC418584

Call by Ed Pandolfino, XC455607

Northern pintail, Anas acuta, by J.M. Garg, Jun 2007

Call by Paul Driver, Feb 2012

Pied-billed grebe, Podilymbus podiceps, by Mdf, 2005

Begging call by José Dellacasa Bravo, XC946741

Nocturnal flight call by David Tattersley, XC811994

Pair contact call by Richard E. Webster, XC971465

Ruby-crowned kinglet, Regulus calendula, by Tony Castro, Jun 2019

Call by Christian Kerihuel, XC814137

Sandhill crane, Grus canadensis, by Jeffery Gammon, Jan 2017

Call by National Park Service, Jan 2004

Left: Summer Tanager female, Piranga rubra, by Gonzalo Zepeda Martinez, Jan 2016

Right: Summer Tanager male, Piranga rubra, by Charles J. Sharp, Feb 2023

Call by Lance A. M. Benner, XC426315

Upland sandpiper, Bartramia longicauda, by Johnath, Jun 2010

Call by Andrew Spencer, XC104334

Yellow-bellied sapsucker, Sphyrapicus varius, by Rhododendrites, Feb 2021

Call by G. McGrane, 2006

At the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum, our nature journaling club, Nature-Doodlers, will be meeting on March 29th, 10am, at the museum to learn about bird observations, drawing and recording our sightings. Make a reservation to come out to this free event by clicking on the QR Code below:

Salamanders are in the order of amphibians named Caudata, which includes mudpuppies, newts, and sirens. There are about 760 species of salamanders worldwide and 121 species are endangered. With the exception of a few in the Amazon basin, they are found only in the northern hemisphere. They live in habitats that provide sufficient humidity levels to keep their skin moist, from sea level to nearly 15,000 feet in altitude.

^{Northern zig-zag salamander, Plethodon dorsalis, by John P Clare, 2016}

^{Marbled salamander, Ambystoma opacum, by Jupiterimages, PhotoImages}

The smallest species are lungless salamanders of southern Mexico, growing to an inch in length. The largest species are the Chinese great salamanders, about six feet in length. They are often mistaken for lizards, having smooth or bumpy skin, but can be easily identified by their total lack of scales. All salamanders have a tail which is rounded in terrestrial species but slightly flattened and often crested in aquatic species. Most salamanders are grey, brown, or white, but a few terrestrial species are brightly colored. Cave dwelling salamanders often lack all pigment and appear pinkish-white in daylight.

^{* Western lesser siren, Siren intermedia nettingi, by Peter Paplanus, 2013}

^{Long-tailed salamander, Eurycea longicauda longicauda, by Meghan Alessi, Getty Images}

Salamanders, other than cave-dwellers, tend to have well-developed eyes. Research shows they are very attuned to differentiating brightness, but cannot see colors. Their eyes are large and provide nearly 360 degrees of view. Salamanders have no external ears, but can detect vibrations received through their jaw bones. Although some species can emit small squeaks, salamanders have no vocal chords or voice box and do not use vocal communications. Their sense of smell is well-developed and plays an important part in locating prey and mates.

^{* Hellbender, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis}
^{alleganiensis, by Jason Ondreicka, Getty Images}

^{Cave salamander, Eurycea lucifuga, by Alfred Crabtree, 2012}

Salamanders may have functional lungs, non-functioning lungs, or no lungs. All species have the ability to exchange gases directly through their skin and the membranes inside their mouth and throat, but this also requires that the skin remain moist at all times. Terrestrial salamanders depend on moisture found in deep leaf litter, holes in trees in temperate zones, or moisture collected in bromeliads growing on trees in tropical zones.

^{Four-toed salamander, Hemidactylium scutatum,}
^{by Jason Ondreicka, Getty Images}

Salamanders have three sets of glands located under the skin, covering their entire body. Mucous glands secrete a sticky liquid that is spread over their body keeping the skin from drying out. When salamanders are in the water, the mucous acts as a lubricant, enhancing their swimming ability. A second set, called the granular glands, produce toxins and odors unique to each species that helps to deter predators and attract mates. A third set of glands is a mixture of the first two, doing a little bit of the work of each.

^{Small-mouthed salamander, Ambystoma texanum,}
^{by Jupiterimages, PhotoImages}

^{Tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum, by John P Clare, 2013}

Salamanders are not as noticeable as many other species. They prefer secrecy and out-of-the-way hiding places. Most species are active at dusk and into the nighttime. All salamanders are carnivorous, feeding on small crustaceans, insects, spiders, and their favorite food – worms. Predators include snakes, lizards, fish, birds, and small mammals. Salamanders defend themselves by exhibiting threatening poses and emitting toxins, many with a bad odor. As a last defense, they may voluntarily lose their tails to a predator, a trait known as autotomy. A new tail can be grown within a few weeks.

Salamanders are easy to care for and their habitats are easily duplicated making them widely distributed in the pet trade and for use in laboratories. Additional conservation impacts come from habitat fragmentation, or habitat degradation, or habitat loss due to draining of wetlands and forest clearing.

^{Northern slimy salamander, Plethodon}
^{glutinosus glutinosus,}
^{by Jason Ondreicka, Getty Images}

^{Red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus cinereus, by Steve Byland, Getty Images}

In Illinois, we have 20 species of salamanders, pictured throughout this blog. Seventeen are terrestrial and three are aquatic (*). Consider coming to the Jurica-Suchy Nature Museum or a nature museum near you to learn more about salamanders in your area.

Spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, by Louisianatreefarmer, Getty Images
Blue-spotted salamander, Ambystoma laterale, by Jason Ondreicka, Getty Images
Central newt, Notophthalmus viridescens louisianensis, by Andrew DuBois, 2016
Dusky salamander, Desmognathus fuscus conanti, by Jason Ondreicka, Getty Images
* Mud puppy, Necturus maculosus maculosus, by Andrew Hoffman, 2010
Three-toed salamander, Amphiuma tridactylum, by Peter Paplanus, 2016
Southern two-lined salamander, Eurycea cirrigera, by Peter Paplanus, 2021
Mole salamander, Ambystoma talpoideum, by Andrew DuBois, 2016
Dark-sided salamander, Eurycea longicauda melanopleura, by Andrew Hoffman, 2010

Month: February 2025

Bird Song

Salamanders